bridge

bridge

Both vulnerable. North deals.

NORTH

x8 7 4 3

uA Q

vA Q 10 9

wA J 4

WEST EAST

xK 5 x6

u8 7 4 2 uK 10 6 5 3

v6 5 2 vK J 4

wK Q 10 3 w9 7 6 5

SOUTH

xA Q J 10 9 2

uJ 9

v8 7 3

w8 2

The bidding:

NORTH EAST SOUTH WEST

1NT Pass 4x Pass

Pass Pass

Opening lead: King of w

“Curious hand,” remarked the kibitzer. “Declarer took every finesse in sight and went down a trick but failed to find the one which would virtually guarantee the contract!” This was the hand from a team match that caused the kibitzer’s wise observation.

The auction was straightforward. Playing transfer bids, the only difference is that North would declare, but that might not have been a benefit.

West led the king of clubs, taken with the ace. Declarer led a trump and finessed, losing to the king. The defender switched to a heart and finesse number two bit the dust when the queen was captured by East’s king. A club was returned to West’s queen. Back came a diamond and East’s king was the setting trick.

The auction and opening lead were the same at the other table. Here, however, declarer took a different tack. The king of clubs was allowed to hold the first trick, and West shifted to a heart. Declarer spurned the heart finesse, rising with the ace. Next came a spade to the ace and, even though the king did not drop, declarer was in hand to take the one finesse that was virtually bound to succeed — a club to the jack!

That held, and a heart was discarded on the ace of clubs. A heart was ruffed in the closed hand to strip the defenders of their safe exit cards and a trump was led. It made no difference which defender held the king — that player would be forced to return a diamond or concede a ruff-sluff. West won and declarer finessed the nine when West exited with a diamond. That lost to the jack, but East was forced to yield the fulfilling trick no matter what the defender led.

2011 Tribune Media Services