bridge

bridge

North-South vulnerable. West deals.

NORTH

xK 2

uK 10 8 4 3

v8

wK Q 10 9 8

WEST EAST

x9 3 x10 8 7 6 4

uJ 9 uA Q 7 6

vK Q 9 5 4 3 v7 6 2

wA 3 2 w4

SOUTH

xA Q J 5

u5 2

vA J 10

wJ 7 6 5

The bidding:

WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH

1v1u 1x 2NT

Pass 3w Pass 3NT

Dbl Pass Pass Rdbl

PassPass Pass

Opening lead Jack of u

While browsing through the archives, we came across one of Charles Goren’s favorite hands. All he had to do to assure the contract’s defeat was to make declarer a gift of three tricks!

Other than that South might have bid three no trump rather than two on the first round, and West’s aggressive double, the bidding might have been duplicated today rather than half a century ago. Had South not redoubled, odds are the contract might have been made!

Alerted by the redouble that neither a diamond nor a spade lead was likely to bother declarer, West elected to attack with the jack of hearts. Declarer put up dummy’s king and Goren, East took the ace and shifted to a diamond, declarer’s ten losing to the queen. West continued with the nine of hearts and this time declarer played low from the table.

Had Goren also followed low, all would have been lost. Out of hearts, West could not have damaged declarer no matter which suit he elected to return. But East rose to the occasion, overtaking the nine of hearts with the queen and in the process setting up three tricks in the suit for declarer! Another diamond through the ace-jack now set up West’s suit while the defender still held the ace of clubs. Declarer could come to eight tricks and no more. Down one redoubled was an absolute top board for East-West.

2011 Tribune Media Services