bridge

bridge

Both vulnerable. South deals.

NORTH

xQ 10 6

u6 5 3

vJ 6 5 2

wK Q 7

WEST EAST

xJ 9 5 3 x8 7 4

uJ 8 2 u4

v3 vQ 10 9 8

wA J 8 6 4 w10 9 5 3 2

SOUTH

xA K 2

uA K Q 10 9 7

vA K 7 4

wVoid

The bidding:

SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST

2w Pass 2v Pass

2u Pass 3u Pass

6u Pass Pass Pass

Opening lead: Three of v

We have always warned players not to rely on a finesse before investigating other possibilities. That makes it a double pleasure to report a hand where a finesse was the only chance — even though no one found it at the table!

The hand was dealt in a duplicate pairs competition and every South arrived in six hearts via an auction similar to the above. Two clubs was an artificial game force and two diamonds was a waiting response. The rest of the auction was natural.

Unless the opening lead was a club, everyone conceded two tricks in diamonds. At the table we watched, declarer played low from dummy and East’s eight forced the king. Declarer drew trumps in three rounds and then tried the ace of diamonds. When West discarded, declarer tossed in the cards for down one.

South was in a bit too much of a hurry to give up. When West shows out on the second diamond, West is marked with nothing but black cards. Declarer can take advantage of the distribution by risking a second undertrick. He must cash the ace of spades and continue with a low spade to the ten! When that holds, declarer leads the king of clubs, discarding the king of spades from hand when East does not cover! West can win, but now must give the lead to dummy in a black suit, allowing declarer to discard the remaining diamond losers on the black queens. Six hearts bid and made.

2011 Tribune Media Services