bridge

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

bridge

North-South vulnerable. South deals.

NORTH

u10 9 4

vJ 10 5 3

wA 8 7 4 2

WEST EAST

xQ 5 2 xJ 4 3

u7 3 uK Q 6 5 2

vK 9 6 4 v8 2

wQ 10 9 3 wK J 5

SOUTH

xA K 10 9 8 6

uA J 8

vA Q 7

The bidding:

SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST

1x Pass 1NT Pass

4x Pass Pass Pass

Opening lead: Seven of u

Cover the East-West cards and decide how you would play four spades after West leads the seven of hearts.

After North’s one-no-trump response South has both the strength and suit quality to jump to game. Can South withstand a 4-2 trump break, or should he play for an even split? What are the dangers in each distribution?

If trumps are 3-3, declarer is playing for an overtrick. Give West the king of diamonds and declarer loses only one trick in each suit except clubs. But what if trumps break 4-2? How should declarer play the hand to guard against that possibility?

There is nothing to fear. Since declarer has stoppers in all suits, he will need the diamond finesse for his contract. So even if the defenders draw a fourth round of trumps, South still has the time to force out the queen of hearts and take the finesse for his contract.

That makes life easy. Declarer captures the queen of hearts with the ace, cashes the two top spades and continues with a spade, and life is simple indeed.

2010 Tribune Media Services