bridge

May 21, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

bridge

Both vulnerable. North deals.

NORTH

xJ 7 3

uA 8

vQ 8 4

wK Q J 5 2

WEST EAST

xK Q 10 2 xA 8 6 5 4

uJ 6 uQ 5 3

vJ 7 3 2 vA 9 5

w10 8 7 w6 4

SOUTH

uK 10 9 7 4 2

vK 10 6

wA 9 3

The bidding:

NORTH EAST SOUTH WEST

1w 1x 2u 3x

Pass Pass 4u Pass

Pass Pass

Opening lead: King of x

Earlier this week, we discussed when it was right to leave a master trump outstanding and go about your business of establishing winners. Is this the same hand in another guise? If not, why?

The auction suggests that North has a minimum opening bid and probably no more than two hearts. South had a close decision whether to rebid his hearts or raise clubs, but decided that his heart intermediates made four hearts a fair shot.

West led the king of spades and continued with the queen, declaring ruffing. Two rounds of trumps followed, leaving one of the defenders with the master trump. Should South concede the trump or start taking his tricks?

Simply counting your winners should give you the answer. You have 10 certain tricks — five trumps and five clubs. All you have to do is make sure you can get to them. Suppose you leave the master trump outstanding and start on clubs. East ruffs the third club and as long as the defense is careful, you have no way to get to dummy’s two remaining club winners. With careful defense, you will lose two diamonds to go with the spade and trump losers — down one.

So give the defenders their trump trick immediately, and they can’t stop you from getting at least 10 tricks.

2010 Tribune Media Services