BRIDGE

BRIDGE

Neither vulnerable. North deals.

NORTH

xK Q 5 2

u9 2

v9 7 5 4

wK Q 7

WEST EAST

x9 7 4 xA 8 6

uA Q 10 5 4 uK 8 3

vJ 8 vA Q 3

w8 6 5 w10 9 4 3

SOUTH

xJ 10 3

uJ 7 6

vK 10 6 2

wA J 2

The bidding:

NORTH EAST SOUTH WEST

Pass 1w Pass 1u

Dbl Rdbl 2v 2u

Pass Pass 2x! Pass

Pass Pass

Opening lead: Five of w

Here’s another deal from the exciting KO teams match between the Nickell and O’Rourke teams at the recent ACBL Spring Nationals in Louisville, Ky., reported by Barnet Shenkin. Nickell won the match by 3 Imps.

Sitting South was the peripatetic Zia Mahmood. When North could not raise diamonds after making a takeout double, he was virtually marked with four spades, hence Zia’s bid on a three-card spade fragment.

Zia won the club opening lead in dummy and led a diamond to the king, which held. The spade jack was led, taken with the ace, and the defense forced dummy to ruff by playing three rounds of hearts. Zia drew trumps and conceded two diamond tricks and, since West had no entry to his long hearts, the contract came home. At the other table, the Nickell team played two hearts and scored nine tricks, and O’Rourke lost 6 Imps on the deal.

Now let’s suppose that, at trick two, East plays the queen of diamonds when the suit is led from dummy. After all the trumps are out and Zia leads a diamond, West can win the diamond jack and cash two heart winners. The contract goes down one and, instead of losing the match by 3 Imps, O’Rourke would have won by 1 Imp!

2011 Tribune Media Services, Inc.