bridge

bridge

Both vulnerable. North deals.

NORTH

xA J 10

uQ J 6 5 4

vA K 6 3

w5

WEST EAST

x9 8 6 4 2 xQ 7

uA 8 3 uK 10 9 2

vJ 9 vQ 10 8 7

wQ 6 3 w8 7 2

SOUTH

xK 5 3

u7

v5 4 2

wA K J 10 9 4

The bidding:

NORTH EAST SOUTH WEST

1u Pass 2w Pass

2v Pass 2NT Pass

3NT Pass Pass Pass

Opening lead: Nine of x

This is another deal from Eddie Kantar’s instructional series “Thinking Bridge,” designed for players eager to improve their game:

“Playing two-over-one is a game force, two no trump is forcing. Not playing 2-over-1, it is not. In either case, three no trump will be reached.

“The lead is normal. Fourth-best should not be led when a suit is headed by a 9 or an 8. It is just too misleading.

“This is going to live or die. If you have a club loser, you will need a return entry to your hand to cash them! You have that entry in the king of spades. So win the ace of spades in dummy and lead a club to the jack. If it loses, there is really nothing West can lead to prevent you taking 10 tricks as the queen of spades happens to be doubleton.

“If declarer plays the ten of spades from dummy at trick one, cover with the queen. If declarer allows you to hold the trick, and you read what is going on, you can defeat the contract by playing declarer for a singleton heart and shifting to a low heart at trick two.

“If partner wins the ace of hearts and returns the eight of hearts, duck if an honor is played from dummy. When partner gets in with the queen of clubs, a third heart play sinks the contract once and for all! When you lead a low heart, partner also can play the eight of hearts, driving out a heart honor from dummy. When he gets in with the club queen, he plays ace and another heart through dummy’s jack — or queen.”

2011 Tribune Media Services