bridge

bridge

Neither vulnerable. South deals.

NORTH

xQ J 4 2

uA 6

v5 4 2

wA 9 7 6

WEST EAST

xA K 9 8 x10 7 6 3

uVoid uK Q 8 7

vK Q 8 3 v10 9 6

w10 5 4 3 2 wJ 8

SOUTH

x5

uJ 10 9 5 4 3 2

vA J 7

wK Q

The bidding:

SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST

1u Dbl Rdbl Pass

2u Pass 3u Dbl

Pass Pass Pass

Opening lead: King of x

South’s rebid of two hearts suggested a minimum opening bid with long hearts and no desire to defend. North stretched a mite to raise to three hearts and East’s double suggested a touch of insanity in the family — even if he could score two heart tricks, there was no guarantee that West, sandwiched between two hands of fair strength, could produce three to set the contract.

West’s king of spades won the first trick, and he shifted to a club, ducked to the king. Declarer now found the winning line — he continued with the queen of clubs, and overtook in dummy to return the queen of spades, losing to the ace as declarer jettisoned his diamond loser.

West belatedly shifted to the king of diamonds, taken by the ace. A heart to the ace provided the entry for South to get rid of his last diamond on the jack of spades and concede two trump tricks to land his contract.

Note that, without the double, declarer might well have cashed two clubs from hand, then crossed to the ace of hearts and tried to discard a losing diamond on the ace of clubs — down one!

2011 Tribune Media Services