bridge

bridge

Both vulnerable. South deals.

NORTH

xQ J 4

uQ 4 3

vJ 8 7 5

wK Q 5

WEST EAST

x10 9 8 5 xA 3 2

uA 10 8 2 u9 7 6 5

v6 4 v9 3

w10 3 2 wA J 7 6

SOUTH

xK 7 6

uK J

vA K Q 10 2

w9 8 4

The bidding:

SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST

1NT Pass 3NT Pass

Pass Pass

Opening lead: Ten of x

There are many occasions where simply counting the strength of the hands from the bidding can be all that is needed to find the winning defense. Here is another example.

A straightforward auction landed South in three no trump. Declarer ducked the opening lead in dummy. How should East defend?

First, consider the information available by the play of ducking the first trick in dummy. Declarer must have the king of spades, else he is risking losing four tricks or more by ducking. Probably he is preserving an entry to dummy. Next, East can account for some 36 points in the North, South and his hand. So he can expect at best one entry in his partner’s hand.

Obviously pursuing tricks in spades would be futile. The only hope is to establish clubs, and that can be accomplished only if West holds the ten of clubs. That makes the choice of defense easy.

East must win the ace of spades and, since he can see that he must attack dummy’s club holding, shift to a low club! As the cards lie, West’s ten is enough to sink the contract. Declarer cannot set up nine tricks without winning a heart trick. He can capture the ten of clubs with dummy’s queen and run his diamonds and spades, but West must win the first heart trick and revert to clubs. With East’s A J of club poised over dummy’s remaining honor, the defenders will take three club tricks to go with the major-suit aces.

2010 Tribune Media Services