bridge

May 30, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

bridge

North-South vulnerable. East deals.

NORTH

x9 7 3

u10 8 4 3 2

vA 8 6 4

WEST EAST

xJ 10 5 4 2 x6

uA K 7 5 uJ 6

v9 vK Q J 10 7 3

wJ 9 4 w8 5 3 2

SOUTH

xA K Q 8

uQ 9

v5 2

wA K 10 7 6

The bidding:

EAST SOUTH WEST NORTH

3v Dbl Pass 3u

Pass 3x Pass 4x

Pass Pass Dbl Pass

Pass Pass

Opening lead: King of u

New Yorkers Andrew Stark and Franco Baseggio won the Platinum Pairs event at the recent ACBL Spring National Championships by less than half a matchpoint. This deal from the Final almost cost them the title. Baseggio and Stark were East-West, respectively. Declarer was another New Yorker, John Hurd.

The defense started with two top hearts, East echoing with the J 6. West shifted to his singleton diamond, won with the ace in dummy. Declarer crossed to the ace of spades, returned to dummy with the queen of clubs and cashed the ten of hearts, discarding his losing diamond, and the eight of hearts, letting go a club.

Next came a trump to the king, followed by the ace and king of clubs. When declarer continued with the ten of clubs West, down to nothing but three trumps, was forced to ruff with the ten of trumps to prevent declarer ruffing in dummy with the nine. West was now forced to lead a trump from his J 5 into declarer’s Q 8 — four spades doubled and made.

West was a trifle careless. East would not start an echo in hearts unless he could ruff the third round. Therefore, West should have continued with a heart and declarer would have ended up a trick short since he can score only one heart trick. Try it.

2010 Tribune Media Services