bridge

March 11, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

bridge

Both vulnerable. East deals.

NORTH

xA 8 6 5

u8 6

v10 4

wA K 10 8 2

WEST EAST

xQ 10 9 4 x7 3

uK 4 3 uQ J 10 9 5 2

vK J 3 v9 8 2

wQ 9 3 wJ 5

SOUTH

xK J 2

uA 7

vA Q 7 6 5

w7 6 4

The bidding:

EAST SOUTH WEST NORTH

Pass 1v Pass 1x

Pass 2v Pass 3w

Pass 3NT Pass Pass

Pass

Opening lead: Three of u

The strongest team in South America over recent years has been Brazil. Their emergence in the early ’60s was due to coaching by many-time Italian and world champion Eugenio Chiaradia, who retired to Sao Paulo when his playing days were over. Star of the team was Gabriel Chagas. Watch him at work on this deal from the 1976 World Bridge Olympiad in Monte Carlo.

The auction was simple enough but it marked the heart lead. It seemed that the contract was doomed by the lead. East chose to play a mildly deceptive jack of hearts and Chagas, without a moment’s hesitation, won and fired back a heart.

Put yourself in the West seat. Would you rise with the king when dummy’s only heart was the eight? After some thought West followed low, East won and returned a heart to his partner’s king as Chagas discarded a diamond from hand. When West now exited with a low club, Chagas rose with the king, cashed the ace and exited with a club, and West was again on lead. He tried a low diamond, taken in dummy with the ten. Declarer now cashed his club winners, squeezing West. Whether West discarded a diamond or a spade on the last club, declarer made the rest of the tricks.

SCrt 2010 Tribune Media Services