bridge
bridge
Neither vulnerable. South deals.
NORTH
xK 10 6 3 2
uQ 10
vK J 8 5 3
w2
WEST EAST
x9 7 4 xQ J 8 5
u6 3 2 u7
vA 10 7 2 vQ 9 4
wK 7 5 wA Q 10 9 6
SOUTH
xA
uA K J 9 8 5 4
v6
wJ 8 4 3
The bidding:
SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST
1u Pass 1x 2w
3u Pass 4w Pass
4u Pass Pass Pass
Opening lead: ?
This deal is from a match between Norway and North America at an international event. Looking only at the West hand, decide what you would lead as West after nearly identical auctions.
At one table, the North American West chose the reasonable lead of a low club. East won with ace and shifted to a trump, taken in dummy. Declarer crossed to hand with a spade, ruffed a club, cashed the king of spades for a club discard and ruffed a spade in hand. Trumps were drawn and declarer led a low diamond. When West played low declarer inserted the king and took 11 tricks.
At the other table West found the devilish lead of a low diamond. Not surprisingly, declarer called for dummy’s jack, losing to East’s queen. Back came a trump and declarer was helpless. When the defenders regained the lead a second trump stranded South with three club losers — down one!
2010 Tribune Media Services
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