bridge

May 7, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

bridge

Both vulnerable. North deals.

NORTH

xA 10

uJ 9 4

vA 10 6 2

wK 10 6 3

WEST EAST

x5 xK Q 6 2

u7 6 2 u10 5

vK 7 5 4 vJ 9 8 3

wA 9 7 5 4 wQ 8 2

SOUTH

xJ 9 8 7 4 3

uA K Q 8 3

The bidding:

NORTH EAST SOUTH WEST

1wPass 1x Pass

1NT Pass 3u Pass

3NT Pass 4u Pass

Pass Pass

Opening lead: Four of v

Study the four hands and the play and decide: Was four hearts a par result or did someone err? If so, who and how?

There are those who believe that when there are two eight-card fits available, it is better to play in the 6-2 fit than in the 5-3. We are not convinced of that.

Against four hearts, West led a low diamond. Declarer won with the ace in dummy, drew trumps in three rounds, and led a spade to the ace and returned the ten, ducking when East followed low. When West showed out, the game was unmakable.

South returned to hand by trumping a diamond and conceded a spade, returned to hand by ruffing a diamond with his last trump and conceded another spade, setting up two winners in hand. Unfortunately, he had no entry back and had to go down one. What’s your verdict?

South was, to put it mildly, a little careless. He should have overtaken the ten of spades with the jack. If it lost to a high spade with West, the suit was breaking 3-2 and could be established with one more lead. As the cards lie, declarer would be a tempo ahead. He concedes a spade, ruffs himself back to hand to give East his last spade trick and still has a trump as an entry to his two winners and 10 tricks in all.

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