bridge

bridge

Both vulnerable. North deals.

NORTH

xK J 8 7 3

u7

vK 8 2

wA K 6 5

WEST EAST

x10 5 xQ 9 6 4

uQ 9 8 6 uA J 10 5 3

vJ 6 5 vQ 9 7 4

wJ 9 4 3 wVoid

SOUTH

xA 2

uK 4 2

vA 10 3

wQ 10 8 7 2

The bidding:

NORTH EAST SOUTH WEST

1x Pass 2w Pass

3w Pass 3NT Pass

Pass Pass

Opening lead: Six of u

We continue with deals from world championships. This one is from a France-Canada World Team Olympiad match. Sitting South was the many-time French and world champion Gerard Bourchtoff.

Here, the French North-South had a routine auction to three no trump, and West led the six of hearts to East’s ace, East returned the jack, which was allowed to hold, and a third heart was won with dummy’s king. On this trick West jettisoned the queen of hearts to unblock the suit.

From this play declarer deduced that East had started with five hearts, hence West was more likely to have club length than East. To make his contract, declarer had to bring in his club suit without loss so, to cater to length with West, declarer led the queen of clubs from hand! When East showed out, it was a simple matter to take repeat club finesses and bring in the suit without loss and, with it, the contract.

In the other room the Canadians reached six clubs. Here, too, the Canadian declarer guessed to lay down the queen of clubs, but he misguessed the spade situation — down one.

2011 Tribune Media Services