bridge

May 16, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

bridge

North-South vulnerable. South deals.

NORTH

x8 4 3

uA 7 6 2

vQ 8

wK J 10 4

WEST EAST

xJ 10 xK Q 6

uK 10 8 uQ J 9 4 3

vJ 9 4 3 2 vK 10 6

w9 5 2 w8 7

SOUTH

xA 9 7 5 2

vA 7 5

wA Q 6 3

The bidding:

SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST

1x Pass 2w 2u

3w Pass 3x Pass

4x Pass Pass Pass

Opening lead: Jack of x

Cover the East-West cards and decide: How would you play four spades after the lead of the jack of trumps?

North had just enough for an invitational raise in spades, especially since there was a double fit on the hand. South had ample for continuing to game.

West led the knave of trumps and continued with a trump when South ducked. Declarer won the trump continuation and it is appealing to try a diamond to the queen. However, that would be a losing tactic since East wins the king and draws the table’s last spade, and declarer has only nine tricks.

Better is to treat the hand as a dummy reversal. Lead a heart to the ace and ruff a heart in hand. Return to dummy twice more in clubs for two heart ruffs, leaving dummy with two clubs, a trump and two diamonds. Declarer plays off the clubs and East can ruff any time he pleases with the master trump, but declarer scores a club and trump in dummy and the ace of diamonds in hand. Making four spades.

2010 Tribune Media Services