bridge

November 17, 2011 at 12:00a.m.

bridge

Both vulnerable. West deals.

NORTH

xA 5 3

vA K J 10 6 3

wJ 10 6

WEST EAST

xQ 9 xJ 7 4

uA K J 8 4 2 u10

v7 4 vQ 9 5 2

wK 7 5 wQ 9 8 3 2

SOUTH

xK 10 8 6 2

uQ 9 7 6 3

wA 4

The bidding:

WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH

1u 2v Pass 2x

Pass 3x Pass 4x

Pass Pass Pass

Opening lead: Ace of u

West’s sound opening bid did not prevent North-South from reaching a reasonable spade game. Can it be made?

After winning the first trick with the ace of hearts, West continued with the king, hoping to shorten dummy’s trumps fatally. Declarer ruffed in dummy, East overruffed and returned a low club. Declarer won, drew trumps, cashed the ace-king of diamonds, making the key play of discarding a heart, and continuing with the knave, ruffing out East’s queen. He now started cashing trumps, squeezing the defenders down to this position:

x—

u—

v10 6

wJ 10

x— x—

uJ 8 u—

v— v9

wK 7 wQ 9 6

uQ 9

v—

When the last trump was led, West had to hold his low club to prevent being endplayed, and West could not afford to let go of a heart without giving declarer the fulfilling trick. West therefore sluffed his king of clubs and dummy, and East parted with low diamonds. Now declarer exited with his carefully preserved low club. East could win but then had to put declarer back in dummy, giving him his contract.

2011 Tribune Media Services