bridge

bridge

Both vulnerable. South deals.

NORTH

xA K Q 10 5

u8 7 4

v7 4 2

wQ 4

WEST EAST

x7 xJ 9 8 6 3

uK Q J 9 5 3 u10

vJ 5 3 vA 9

w9 3 2 wK J 10 7 5

SOUTH

x4 2

uA 6 2

vK Q 10 8 6

wA 8 6

The bidding:

SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST

1v 2u 2x Pass

3v Pass 3u Pass

3NT Pass Pass Pass

Opening lead: King of u

After decades of being labeled a “decadent” pastime, tournament bridge has found favor in Russia, and they are fast becoming a force in European tournaments. This deal, from an international team event, illustrates why. Sitting East-West for the Russia were Larissa Panina and Michael Rosenblum, respectively.

The auction was straightforward. North’s cue-bid of three hearts asked partner to bid three no trump with a heart stopper, and South duly obliged.

West led the king of hearts, and all would have been well had declarer won the first trick. Dummy’s spade entries would allow declarer to develop diamonds for the necessary tricks. That was probably the correct play since West was surely not pre-empting, vulnerable, on a five-card suit. But when South elected to hold up, West continued with the queen of hearts and East jettisoned his ace of diamonds! Declarer tested the spades and, when that suit broke badly, fell back on diamonds, eventually conceding a trick to West’s jack of diamonds. West cashed his heart winners for down two.

Looking at all the cards, declarer could still have scraped home, even after this scintillating defense. Declarer must take one top diamond and two top spades and exit with a low spade to endplay East into yielding an eighth trick. Then, by cashing the remaining black-suit winners, declarer can force West down to two diamonds and two hearts. West is then given the lead with a heart to force a lead away from the jack of diamonds, into South’s queen-ten tenace. We are not surprised declarer did not think about, let alone find, this line!

2011 Tribune Media Services