bridge

March 31, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

bridge

North-South vulnerable. East deals.

NORTH

uQ 10 5 3

vA K Q 10 3

wA 8 5

WEST EAST

xK J 5 3 2 x10 9 6 4

uA K 4 2 u9

v7 4 vJ 9 8 6 2

wK 2 w10 4 3

SOUTH

xA Q 8

uJ 8 7 6

wQ J 9 7 6

The bidding:

EAST SOUTH WEST NORTH

Pass Pass 1x Dbl

3x 4u Dbl Pass

4x Dbl Pass 5u

Pass Pass Dbl Pass

Pass Pass

Opening lead: Three of x

The cards had not been treating Trump Coup Tommy well. Here it was at the end of the first quarter and his wallet was considerably leaner. Hands with bad trump breaks, suiting his peculiar talent of changing from card pusher to technical wizard, were few and far between when this deal came along.

North had seen Tommy defend before, so he had little hesitation in pulling Tommy’s double of four spades. West could not believe his luck and advertised it to the world.

Tommy won the spade opening lead in hand with the queen and immediately led a trump to the queen. When East produced the nine, Tommy switched horses. He cashed the ace and king of diamonds, discarding the eight of spades from hand, and ruffed a diamond. When West elected not to overruff in an attempt to gain trump control, Tommy cashed the ace of spades, discarding a club from dummy, and shifted to the queen of clubs, covered by the king and taken with the ace.

Playing as if with glass cards, Tommy came to hand by finessing the seven of clubs and started running the suit from the top. He was in complete control. No matter what West did, the defense could do no more than win two trump tricks. The master was back!

SCrt 2010 Tribune Media Services