bridge

bridge

Both vulnerable. West deals.

NORTH

xQ J 5 2

uJ 4

vJ 6 4

wA K 9 5

WEST EAST

xA x7 6 3

uK Q 9 7 3 u8 6 5 2

vA Q 10 8 v7 5 2

w10 8 4 w6 3 2

SOUTH

xK 10 9 8 4

uA 10

vK 9 3

wQ J 7

The bidding:

WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH

1u Dbl Pass 4x

Pass Pass Pass

Opening lead: King of u

The defenders usually can be considered to be declarer’s mortal enemies, eager to seize any opportunity to do harm to the contract. But once in a while, their unwilling cooperation can be enlisted.

North has as little as the law allows for his takeout double. With values for an opening bid, South’s jump to game in spades was automatic.

West led the king of hearts. The opening bid was good news and bad — bad because it meant that every important card was going to be badly placed, good because West might have too much for his own well-being.

Declarer saw at once that it would not help to win the ace of hearts and start on trumps. West would win, cash a heart trick and then exit with a black-suit card and sit back and wait to collect two diamond tricks. After some thought, declarer found a line that would allow the contract to come home — West would have to hold specifically a singleton ace of trumps and no more than three clubs!

After winning the ace of hearts, declarer played off three rounds of clubs and was delighted when everyone followed. Now a trump to the ace left West in an untenable position. The defender could cash the queen of hearts, but then would have to give succor to the needy. Since another heart would allow declarer to ruff in dummy while discarding a diamond from hand (after drawing trumps, dummy’s fourth club would subsequently permit declarer to get rid of another diamond), West had to cash the ace of diamonds and lead another in the vain hope that East might hold the king. Four spades bid and made.

2011 Tribune Media Services