bridge

June 29, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

bridge

Neither vulnerable. West deals.

NORTH

x9 7 6 3

u10 8 5

vA 9 8

wA K 6

WEST EAST

xK Q 8 xA J 5 2

uA K 9 u6 3

vJ 10 6 5 2 v4 3

w10 4 wQ 9 7 5 3

SOUTH

x10 4

uQ J 7 4 2

vK Q 7

wJ 8 2

The bidding:

WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH

1NT Pass Pass 2u

Pass Pass Dbl Pass

Pass Pass

Opening lead: King of x

This deal is from an international pairs event. At the table, two hearts doubled failed by a trick. Was this the par result?

West opened with a weak no-trump. East’s double of two hearts was for takeout but West, looking at three potential trump tricks, elected to convert to penalties.

West led the king of spades and shifted to the ten of clubs. Declarer won in dummy and led a trump to the jack and king. West reverted to a club, taken in dummy. Declarer persevered with a trump to the queen and ace. West returned a low spade to partner’s ace and discarded the queen of spades when East cashed the queen of clubs. East reverted to spades and West scored the setting with a spade overruff — down one. Was this the par result?

Not quite! When declarer wins the second club in dummy in dummy, he should come to hand with a diamond and lead a low trump to the ten. No matter how the defenders proceed, declarer will be able to ruff the third spade with the queen in hand and dummy’s ten of trumps controls the third round of trumps. Two hearts doubled and made.

2010 Tribune Media Services