bridge

September 16, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

bridge

Neither vulnerable. North deals.

NORTH

xA K 10 3 2

u5 3

vA 5

wK J 3 2

WEST EAST

x4 xQ J 9 7 6

uK 8 6 2 uQ J 7

vQ 10 8 6 4 3 2 vJ 9

w7 w10 9 8

SOUTH

x8 5

uA 10 9 4

vK 7

wA Q 6 5 4

The bidding:

NORTH EAST SOUTH WEST

1x Pass 2w Pass

3w Pass 3NT Pass

4v Pass 4u Pass

4NT Pass 5x Pass

6w Pass Pass Pass

Opening lead: Four of x

When you have more than one line available for your contract, try to combine them. To accomplish that, you usually have to test them in a specific order.

North’s four diamonds was a cue-bid in search of slam and, when South cooperated, North launched into Key-Card Blackwood. South’s five spades showed two aces and the queen of trumps, and the pair landed in an eminently reasonable club slam.

Declarer won the opening lead in dummy with the king. To duck a heart immediately risked if West’s lead was a singleton, so declarer tested trumps for an even split as his first chance. When West showed out on the second round, declarer moved on to his second option — to set up the spades. West’s diamond discard put an end to that plan.

The third possibility was to ruff two hearts in dummy. However, declarer could not allow East to gain the lead because a trump return would leave South a trick short. So South led a heart from the table, but East thwarted that plan by inserting the jack of hearts. Declarer won with the ace, returned to dummy with the ace of diamonds and led another heart. East refused to let declarer duck the trick to West, going in with the queen to return a trump. Now declarer could no longer ruff two clubs and was forced to try the remaining arrow in his quiver. He led the ten of hearts for a ruffing finesse of the king. That worked, and declarer was able to limit his heart losers to one.

2010 Tribune Media Services