BRIDGE

BRIDGE

Both vulnerable. South deals.

NORTH

x10 5

uQ 8 3

vA K J 10 3

wJ 9 4

WEST EAST

xK 3 2 x6 4

uK 6 u9 7 5 4 2

v9 8 5 v7 4 2

wA K Q 7 2 w10 6 3

SOUTH

xA Q J 9 8 7

uA J 10

vQ 6

w8 5

The bidding:

SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST

1x 2w 2v Pass

3x Pass 4x Pass

Pass Pass

Opening lead: King of w

Communications between dummy and the closed hand are the lifeblood of many contracts. Defeating these hands depends on the ability of the defenders to cut the artery.

With a spade suit that could play opposite a singleton and the queen in partner’s suit that should be upgraded in value, South’s hand was worth a jump rebid. North clearly had enough to proceed to the major-suit game.

West started with the king and ace of clubs, East following with the three and ten to show an odd number of cards in the suit. Obviously, East was broke, so West realized that no help could be expected from that quarter. Therefore, the kings in both major suits would have to score if the contract was to be defeated.

The king of trumps was a sure defensive trick. The king of hearts was another matter — the diamond suit would surely furnish declarer with enough discards to take care of any losers.

The only hope for the defense lay in cutting declarer’s link to the diamonds before the suit could be put to use.

At trick three West shifted to a diamond. Declarer won with the king and led a trump to the knave.

West won and persisted with a diamond, and declarer was forced to bow the knee.

Since an attempt to get two heart discards on dummy’s diamonds while there was still a trump outstanding was clearly against the odds, declarer won in dummy, cashed the ten of spades and tried the heart finesse by leading the queen — down one!

2012 Tribune Media Services