bridge

bridge

Both vulnerable. South deals.

NORTH

x7 6 5 4

uA J

vK Q J 6

w10 3 2

WEST EAST

xK x10 9 3 2

u7 6 2 uK 10 9 5 4 3

v10 9 8 5 3 2 v7

wJ 9 6 w8 4

SOUTH

xA Q J 8

uQ 8

vA 4

wA K Q 7 5

The bidding:

SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST

1w Pass 1v Pass

2x Pass 3x Pass

4NT Pass 5v Pass

5NT Pass 6v Pass

6x Pass Pass Pass

Opening lead: ?

There are those who claim that making the right opening lead is an art. That may be, but there is a lot of luck in the choosing, as well. This deal is from a major international team event.

The auction is straightforward. North’s raise to three spades was forward-going in the partnership methods, so South bounced into Blackwood since the five-level had to be safe if North denied an ace.

West led the unbid suit, a heart, and declarer opted to finesse the jack rather than try for an immediate discard on dummy’s diamonds. That lost to the king and East shifted to a club, won in the closed hand. Dummy was entered with the ace of hearts and a spade was led to the jack and king. East still had a trump trick for down two.

In the other room the slam was also reached on a similar auction. Since the bidding marked North-South for the ace of hearts, West decided that a heart lead was unlikely to be profitable. Instead, West elected to try to give partner a ruff by leading a diamond. That was not a winning decision! Declarer won in hand and took the safety play of cashing the ace of trumps and great was the fall thereon. Two more rounds of trumps were drawn and the defenders were held to one trump trick!

2012 Tribune Media Services