bridge

June 27, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

bridge

Both vulnerable. North deals.

NORTH

uA 8 2

vK Q 4 3

wA K 7 6 2

WEST EAST

xQ 9 8 3 xK 5

uJ 5 4 uK Q 9 7 6 3

vJ 10 9 6 v8 5

wJ 9 wQ 10 4

SOUTH

xJ 10 7 6 4 2

u10

vA 7 2

w8 5 3

The bidding:

NORTH EAST SOUTH WEST

1w 2u 2x 3u

4v Pass 4x Pass

Pass Pass

Opening lead: Four of u

Counting your winners is all well and good. As we have pointed out before, counting your losers is often more profitable. Here’s another case in point.

North judged well when he decided that South’s hand might be useless in a no trump contract. He did equally well when he reckoned that four spades was probably the best spot to play — his wealth of controls and ace in partner’s suit, though singleton, could be adequate for game in spades.

West led the king of hearts, taken with dummy’s ace. Unless diamonds broke 3-3, declarer had a sure loser in clubs, so to make his game declarer had to hold his trump losers to two. If trumps were 3-3, there was no problem — any play would succeed. However, there was a way to protect against some 4-2 divisions as well.

After winning the ace of hearts, declarer cashed the ace of spades and came to hand with the ace of diamonds to lead a low trump. Success — East won with the king. Declarer ruffed the heart return and led the jack of trumps to force out the queen and, on regaining the lead, drew the outstanding trump. Eventually he had to concede a club trick, but the contract was home.

2010 Tribune Media Services