bridge

bridge

Neither vulnerable. East deals.

NORTH

xQ 10

uA K 7 6 5

vJ 5 3 2

w9 2

WEST EAST

x8 6 4 3 2 xA K 7

uVoid uJ 10 9

vA 10 6 4 vQ 9 7

wK J 8 4 w10 7 6 5

SOUTH

xJ 9 5

uQ 8 4 3 2

vK 8

wA Q 3

The bidding:

EAST SOUTH WEST NORTH

Pass 1u Pass 3v

Pass 3u Pass Pass

Pass

Opening lead: Three of x

British internationalist Barnet Shenkin, a Glaswegian, settled in Florida a quarter of a century ago, and continues to make his presence felt on the North American scene. He was South on this deal from the Kaplan Blue Ribbon Pairs at the recent ACBL Fall North American Championships held in Orlando.

North’s jump to three diamonds showed an invitational heart raise, South’s correction to three hearts showed a minimum opening and the auction died there. West led a spade, East won the king and shifted to a low club.

Declarer finessed the queen, losing to the king, and West reverted to a spade taken with East’s ace. The club return was won in hand and declarer drew three rounds of trumps and cashed the jack of spades, discarding a diamond from dummy. Declarer crossed to dummy with a club ruff and led the jack of diamonds.

East now knew declarer’s original shape was 3-5-2-3, and declarer had seen East, a passed hand had started with the ace-king of spades and jack of hearts. It was a virtual impossibility for him to hold the ace of diamonds as well.

East thought he was giving declarer a guess by playing low on the jack of diamonds, but declarer knew the ace was with West, so he followed low. When that held, nine tricks were in the bag!

2011 Tribune Media Services