BRIDGE

BRIDGE

East-West vulnerable. South deals.

NORTH

xJ 5 3

uQ 8 7 6

vA Q 4

w9 8 2

WEST EAST

xK Q 10 9 7 xA 8 6 2

uK 10 5 uJ 9 4 2

v6 3 v9 7 5

wQ 6 4 w7 3

SOUTH

x4

uA 3

vK J 10 8 2

wA K J 10 5

The bidding:

SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST

1v 1x Dbl 2x

4w Pass 4v Pass

5w Pass 5v Pass

Pass Pass

Opening lead: King of x

Follow the bidding and play of this deal and decide who, if anyone, erred.

North’s double of one spade was “negative” for takeout, not penalties.

South showed a good distributional hand by jumping in clubs and then offered partner a choice of minor-suit games.

The opening lead was the king of spades, and East showed an even number by following with the eight. West shifted to a trump, won by dummy’s queen.

A spade was ruffed in the closed hand, the ace of clubs was cashed, on which East echoed with the seven, and declarer crossed to the table with a diamond to the ace to ruff the jack of spades. Next came the king and jack of clubs.

West won but was endplayed — the defender either had to yield a ruff-sluff or else lead a heart away from the king, permitting dummy’s queen to win. Making five-odd.

What’s your verdict?

Declarer judged the play extremely well, aided by East’s high-low in clubs. But East’s defense must be faulted.

At trick one, East should have overtaken partner’s king of spades with the ace and shifted to a heart. After that, there would have been no way to stop the defense from collecting a trick in both hearts and clubs to go with the spade already in the bank.

Given the original miscue, East could have recovered by ruffing partner’s club winner to switch to a heart. That also would have brought declarer to his knees.

2012 Tribune Media Services