bridge

bridge

North-South vulnerable. South deals.

NORTH

x10 8 2

uK J 8 2

v10 6 4

w10 9 6

WEST EAST

x7 4 3 xQ 9 6 5

u10 uQ 9 7 6 5 4

vJ 8 7 3 vVoid

wK Q 7 5 2 wJ 8 3

SOUTH

xA K J

uA 3

vA K Q 9 5 2

wA 4

The bidding:

SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST

2w Pass 2v Pass

3v Pass 3u Pass

3NT Pass Pass Pass

Opening lead: Five of w

We have long promoted bridge as the ideal game for those of advancing years. Even more than chess, the game keeps you mentally alert. The former British world champion Boris Schapiro was 91 years old when he won his last international event. This hand is from that tournament.

South’s two clubs was an artificial game force, two diamonds was a waiting response with negative implications. The rest of the auction was natural, and Schapiro became declarer at three no trump.

West led the five of clubs, and declarer captured East’s jack with the ace. A simple contract became difficult when East showed out on the ace of diamonds, discarding a heart. Declarer now had only eight tricks, and both major suits offered the chance of a ninth via a finesse. The odds could be slightly improved by first cashing the ace and king of one suit in an attempt to drop the queen, then taking the finesse in the other. In an attempt to learn more about the distribution, declarer took a different course.

Schapiro cashed the king of diamonds, unblocking dummy’s ten as East discarded another heart, then exited with a club — if the suit divided evenly, declarer could afford to concede a diamond and still come to nine tricks. West elected to run the clubs to complete the defensive book. Declarer discarded three diamonds from hand, and a card from each major in dummy. East came down to three cards in each major.

West exited with the ten of hearts, taken in the closed hand with the ace. When South now cashed the queen of diamonds, discarding a spade from the table, East was ruined. Declarer would simply cash the high cards in whichever suit East discarded, and the queen would drop in whichever suit East discarded.

Not bad for a 91-year-old youngster!

2011 Tribune Media Services