BRIDGE

September 9, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

BRIDGE

Neither vulnerable. West deals.

NORTH

xK Q 4 3

uA J 2

vA 10 6

wA K J

WEST EAST

x7 xJ 9 8 2

uK 10 9 5 3 uQ 4

vK J 8 7 5 3 v9

w8 wQ 7 6 5 4 3

SOUTH

xA 10 6 5

u8 7 6

vQ 4 2

w10 9 2

The bidding:

WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH

2u Dbl Pass 2x

Pass 3u Pass 4x

Pass Pass Pass

Opening lead: Eight of w

Here’s a deal from the Ireland-Poland match in the European Women’s Championship. See if you can match the skill of Marianne Harding, the Irish declarer at four spades.

West’s opening two-heart bid showed hearts and a minor suit. When South showed a minimum over the takeout double, North showed her strength with a heart cue-bid and South judged that her ace and queen were enough to try for game.

West led her singleton club, taken with the ace. With East marked with trump length, declarer drew all the trumps by first cashing the king and queen, then taking the marked finesse for the jack. West discarded two diamonds and a heart.

Declarer continued with a low diamond, inserting the ten when West followed low. When that held, declarer cashed the ace of diamonds and the ace of hearts and led a heart. West could not overtake the queen with the king because that would set up the jack for the 10th trick. But East had no exit bar clubs, so his forced play into dummy’s tenace also gave declarer her contract.

There are many variations in the play, some requiring West to insert the jack when declarer first leads a diamond. But no matter how the defense wriggles, one of the defenders can always be endplayed for the fulfilling trick. Try it.

2010 Tribune Media Services Inc.