bridge

bridge

North-South vulnerable. West deals.

NORTH

x9 7

u10

v8 7 6 4 2

wK J 10 9 8

WEST EAST

x10 5 xK 3 2

uA J 9 5 3 uQ 6 4 2

vJ 9 3 vA K Q 10

w7 6 2 w4 3

SOUTH

xA Q J 8 6 4

uK 8 7

v5

wA Q 5

The bidding:

WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH

Pass Pass 1NT 4x

Pass Pass Pass

Opening lead: Two of w

This deal from the Freeman Mixed Board-a-Match Teams at the recent Summer North American Championships in Toronto is a perfect double dummy problem. Can you make four spades after a club lead?

Suppose you win in dummy and take a spade finesse. It wins, but you have only one more entry to dummy so you cannot draw trumps and run clubs and must lose at least four tricks.

The winning line was found at the table by Adrian Dovell of Gainesville, Fla. He won the club lead with the ace and led the queen of spades from hand. When East ducks, declarer overtakes the queen of clubs with the king, takes the trump finesse, draws the remaining trump and runs clubs to score 11 black-suit tricks and land his game. Four spades bid, made and well-played!

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