bridge

March 19, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

bridge

North-South vulnerable. East deals.

NORTH

xK 10 9

uJ 4

vK Q J 6 5

wK 7 3

WEST EAST

xVoid xQ J 7 5

uA K Q 10 6 5 u8 3

v10 9 4 3 v7 2

w9 5 4 wQ J 8 6 2

SOUTH

xA 8 6 4 3 2

u9 7 2

vA 8

wA 10

The bidding:

EAST SOUTH WEST NORTH

Pass 1x 3u 4x

Pass Pass Pass

Opening lead: King of u

Here’s another deal from Eddie Kantar’s excellent series “Thinking Bridge,” for players anxious to improve their games.

“West’s three-heart overcall is weak. The most descriptive weak jump overcalls are those that have a strong suit with little or nothing on the side. Also, at this vulnerability, one can cheat a card and have a strong six-card suit to jump to the three-level. North has a choice of responses. He can cue-bid four hearts to show a strong spade raise or simply jump to four spades. Four diamonds is also a possible response. These are problems that pre-emptive jump overcalls present. A word to the wise: opponents hate to hear pre-empts.

“East starts a high-low in hearts in hearts and West continues with ace and queen of hearts, dummy ruffing the third heart with the nine.

“As East, before overruffing a relatively high spot card or even an honor with a strong trump holding of your own, ask yourself how many trump tricks you will take if you don’t overruff? In this case, if you overruff and partner shows out on the king of spades, declarer will have an easy time finessing you out of your remaining honor. Even if partner follows to the first spade, declarer may take the spade finesse, playing your partner for short spades. If you don’t overruff you are slated to take two trump tricks.”

Try it!

2010 Tribune Media Services