bridge

bridge

Both vulnerable. West deals.

NORTH

xQ 9 6 3 2

uJ

vA K 3

wA Q 4 3

WEST EAST

xK J 10 x7 4

uK 9 7 6 3 2 uA 10 5

vQ 9 2 v10 6 5 4

wK w10 9 8 7

SOUTH

xA 8 5

uQ 8 4

vJ 8 7

wJ 6 5 2

The bidding:

WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH

1x Dbl Pass 1x

2u Dbl Pass 3w

Pass 4x Pass Pass

Pass

Opening lead: Six of u

Put yourself in declarer’s place on this deal from a recent Far East Championship. You have reached four spades with South as declarer and receive the lead of a low heart, covered by the jack and taken by the ace. East returns a trump, you play low and West’s king wins. Back comes the jack of trumps. How do you continue?

At the table, declarer won in dummy with the queen, came to hand with the ace of trumps, and led a club, picking off West’s singleton king. Declarer cashed a trump, discarding a club, and the table’s last spade, sluffing a heart from hand, and the queen and jack of clubs.

These shenanigans reduced West to the king of hearts and Q 9 2 of diamonds, so declarer exited with the queen of hearts, and West was forced to lead away from his queen of diamonds into declarer’s combined K J tenace. Four spades bid and made!

2011 Tribune Media Services