bridge
bridge
Both vulnerable. South deals.
NORTH
xA 9 8 7
uA 6
vA 7 4
wJ 10 8 3
WEST EAST
xJ 10 6 xK 5 4
uJ 8 7 5 2 uQ 10 3
v9 6 2 vK 8 5 3
w5 2 wA 6 4
SOUTH
xQ 3 2
uK 9 4
vQ J 10
wK Q 9 7
The bidding:
SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST
1w Pass 1x Pass
1NT Pass 3NT Pass
Pass Pass
Opening lead: Five of u
Good defense doesn’t require you to do something brilliant. Often enough a routine play is sufficient to lure declarer into a fatal line.
The bidding was right out of Bridge 101. With two balanced minimum opening bids facing each other, there is no reason to look for any final contract other than three no trump.
West led a low heart to the six and queen and, when declarer held up by following with the four, East returned the ten to dummy’s ace. The jack of clubs lost to the ace and the king of hearts was forced out. Declarer cashed two more club tricks to strip that suit from the defenders’ hands, West discarding a diamond, then led the queen of diamonds, running it when West followed low. Impressed by the success of the finesse, declarer repeated it. East, former world champion Lorenzo Lauria, grabbed the king and returned a diamond.
Declarer had only eight tricks, so he tried for a ninth by leading a low spade toward the queen. Lauria shot up with the king and cashed the long diamond for a one-trick set.
Good as the defense was, declarer missed a clue. West would not have ducked the second round of diamonds holding the king so, instead of running the jack, declarer should have risen with the ace and exited with a diamond. Lauria could win with the king and cash a long diamond, but then would have to lead away from the king of spades, giving declarer the fulfilling trick.
SCrt 2010 Tribune Media Services
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