bridge
bridge
North-South vulnerable. South deals.
NORTH
xK J 10 5
uA J 9 5 3
v7 6 3
wA
WEST EAST
xA Q 7 4 2 x9 6 3
u8 7 2 uQ 10
vK 4 v10 9 8 5 2
w6 5 4 w8 7 2
SOUTH
x8
uK 6 4
vA Q J
wK Q J 10 9 3
The bidding:
SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST
1w 1x 2x Pass
3w Pass 3u Pass
6w Pass Pass Pass
Opening lead: Ace of x
This deal is from a team match some years ago to select the English team for a series of international matches. Cover the East and West hands and decide how you would plan the play.
At both tables West overcalled one spade and both Norths decided that a penalty double, at this vulnerability, might not compensate for a missed game.
A cue-bid those days simply showed game-going values and did not imply any specific distribution. Both Souths reached the small slam in clubs and, at both tables, West led the ace of spades and switched to a trump. What now?
Both declarers cashed the king of spades, discarding a heart from hand, then ruffed a spade. Next came four rounds of trumps. After following to two of these, what should West discard?
At one table the choice was a spade and a heart, so declarer spurned the heart finesse in favor of cashing the king and ace, dropping the queen and landing the contract.
At the other table, the defender saw what was coming and elected to discard a spade and a diamond instead. Here South took the heart finesse and went down a trick when he took the diamond finesse on East’s forced return.
West’s decision to bare the king of diamonds was imaginative defense, but it gave the declarer an additional chance, which was overlooked.
Before committing to the heart finesse, declarer should cash the ace of diamonds. When that fetches the king, 12 tricks are there. If the king does not appear declarer can shift his attention to hearts and decide how to tackle the suit.
How should the slam be played if West discards two spades, setting up dummy’s jack? You choose.
2011 Tribune Media Services