bridge

bridge

North-South vulnerable. North deals.

NORTH

xA J 2

uA J

vJ

wK J 10 8 5 4 3

WEST EAST

xK 6 5 3 x4

uK 10 9 7 4 uQ 8 6 5

v5 2 vK Q 10 9

wA 9 wQ 7 6 2

SOUTH

xQ 10 9 8 7

u3 2

vA 8 7 6 4 3

wVoid

The bidding:

NORTH EAST SOUTH WEST

1w Pass 1x Pass

3w Pass 3v Pass

3x Pass 4x Pass

Pass Pass

Opening lead: Ten of u

North’s jump rebid of three clubs was a trifle aggressive, but South’s one-spade response had improved the holding. As it is, four spades is a fair contract but the bad spade and diamond breaks means that game has virtually no play.

Dummy’s ace of hearts won the first trick, declarer led a diamond to the ace, ruffed a diamond in dummy and a club in hand. When declarer now led another diamond, West discarded the ace of clubs! Declarer ruffed in dummy and ruffed a club in hand, but West overruffed and returned a trump, and declarer could collect no more than eight tricks — try it.

Where the defense was less exciting, the crossruff produced nine tricks — careless defense might even allow declarer to get home. The second undertrick gave East-West 37 out of a possible 38 matchpoints.

2011 Tribune Media Services