bridge

bridge

Neither vulnerable. South deals.

NORTH

xA K 5 4

uA J

vJ 7 3

w6 5 3 2

WEST EAST

xJ 3 xQ 9 8 7

u10 8 6 4 2 uK 9 3

vK 9 2 vQ 8 6 5 4

wQ 10 7 w9

SOUTH

x10 6 2

uQ 7 5

vA 10

wA K J 8 4

The bidding:

SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST

1w Pass 1x Pass

1NT Pass 3NT Pass

Pass Pass

Opening lead: Four of u

A is for Avoidance in every bridge player’s lexicon. Here is an avoidance play in a different guise.

The auction was simple enough. With two balanced hands, a source of tricks and a combined 27 high-card points, three no trump was a normal contract to reach.

West led the four of hearts, and declarer could count nine tricks — two spades, two hearts, one diamond four clubs — as long as clubs were no worse than 3-1 or, if they did split 4-0, the length was with East. Diamonds were the soft spot in the North-South holding, but only if East can gain the lead. If not, declarer has two positional stoppers in the suit.

Suppose South plays the jack of hearts from dummy at trick one. East wins with the king and shifts to a diamond and, no matter how declarer wriggles, the defense will come to at least four diamonds, the king of hearts and a club. Down two. The way out of this dilemma is simple.

Declarer must rise with the ace of hearts at trick one and lead a club from the board, simply covering any card East produces. West can win with the queen, but no return can harm declarer — a diamond shift gives South two tricks in the suit and 10 overall, and any other lead allows declarer time to set up a second heart trick before the defenders can get the diamonds going.

2011 Tribune Media Services