bridge

bridge

Both vulnerable. East deals.

NORTH

xK Q 10 8 7 5

u10 9 8

vK 3

w8 3

WEST EAST

x3 xJ 6 2

uK 7 6 2 uJ 5 3

vJ 8 6 5 vQ 10 9 2

wK Q 10 6 wA 5 4

SOUTH

xA 9 4

uA Q 4

vA 7 4

wJ 9 7 2

The bidding:

EAST SOUTH WEST NORTH

Pass 1NT Pass 2u

Pass 2x Pass 4x

Pass Pass Pass

Opening lead: King of w

This deal is from one of the many secondary pair events at the recent ACBL Fall North American Championships held in San Diego. With both North and South minimum for their actions, a lucky 10 tricks were taken at most of the tables. Here, North-South was taken in by a devious defense.

North’s two hearts was a transfer to spades and an aggressive leap to four spades on minimal values resulted in a tricky game made even more complicated by Eric Leong’s opening lead of the king of clubs. Barry Rigal, East, overtook with the ace and returned a club. West won with the ten and returned the club six!

There were three reasonable plays for declarer. He could ruff high and try to limit his major-suit losers to one; he could ruff with a middling trump and hope East could not overruff; or he could discard a heart which would secure the contract as the cards lay or if the heart finesse succeeded.

At the table declarer opted to ruff high — down one.

2011 Tribune Media Services