Friday, January 28, 2011
bridge
East-West vulnerable. South deals.
NORTH
x9 7 6
u7 5 3 2
vJ 7 3
wA 6 4
WEST EAST
xK 10 8 5 2 xQ J 4
uK 10 4 uQ J 9
v8 6 5 2 v10 9 4
w10 wJ 8 7 5
SOUTH
xA 3
uA 8 6
vA K Q
wK Q 9 3 2
The bidding:
SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST
2w Pass 2v Pass
2NT Pass 3NT Pass
Pass Pass
Opening lead: Five of x
Here’s another deal from Eddie Kantar’s excellent series “Thinking Bridge,” designed for players anxious to improve their game and published in the Daily Bulletins of the ACBL Fall North American Championships held in Orlando.
“The bidding is routine. You showed 22-24 balanced and partner had enough to raise you to three no trump.
“You have five tricks outside of clubs, the suit you plan to use for your extra needed tricks. Translation: You only need four club tricks to make your contract. However, if you give up the lead in clubs and spades are 5-3 (47 percent) as opposed to 4-4 (33 percent), you are headed for the water cooler.
To give yourself the best chance of taking five club tricks, duck the spade lead, winning the second round in case spades are 6-2, and then make the key play of a high club from your hand before crossing to the ace. If you play clubs as suggested and West has a singleton ten or jack, you will be in dummy having seen West show out on the second club, and be able to lead a club to the nine safely. If you start by leading a club to the ace, you can’t be sure to finesse the nine on the way back because West may have J 10 doubleton or even J 10 x and be playing games with you.”
2011 Tribune Media Services