bridgE

bridgE

Neither vulnerable. North deals.

NORTH

xK 6 5

uJ 4

vQ 8

wA J 10 5 4 2

WESTEAST

xA 10 3 x8 4 2

uQ 10 9 uK 7 6 5 2

v7 5 3 2 vA 10 9 6

wK 6 3 w7

SOUTH

xQ J 9 7

uA 8 3

vK J 4

wQ 9 8

The bidding:

NORTH EAST SOUTH WEST

1w 1u Dbl 2u

Pass Pass 3u Pass

3x Pass 3NT Pass

Pass Pass

Opening lead: Queen of u

The hallmark of the bridge expert is the ability to read the cards. Sitting South on this deal from a Women’s World Championship match was Denmark’s Kirsten Steen Moller.

South’s double of one heart was negative — for takeout, not penalties, and promising at least four spades. When North did not bid spades immediately, South knew her partner held only three cards in the suit and elected to play in the notrump game.

West led the queen of hearts and, when declarer held up the ace, continued with ten, covered by the jack and king. Since East surely was marked with an entry to the hearts by the bidding, declarer realized that the only hope for her contract was to find the heart suit blocked. Therefore, South won the trick with the ace and went after the clubs by running the nine.

When that won, declarer ran the suit carefully watching the opponents’ discards. It became clear that East’s entry was in diamonds, so declarer next led the queen of that suit to the ace. Now there was no way for the defenders to untangle the hearts, and the contract rolled home.

Note that West could not afford to unblock the nine of hearts. That would have promoted declarer’s eight to a winner!

2011 Tribune Media Services