Thursday, August 30, 2012
BRIDGE
East-West vulnerable. South deals.
NORTH
xA 6 4 2
uK 5 2
v8 7
w8 6 5 2
WEST EAST
xQ 10 3 xK J 8 7 5
u10 uJ 9 8
vQ J 10 5 4 2 v9
wQ 10 7 wJ 9 4 3
SOUTH
x9
uA Q 7 6 4 3
vA K 6 3
wA K
The bidding:
SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST
1u Pass 2u Pass
3v Pass 4u Pass
6u Pass Pass Pass
Opening lead: Queen of v
This deal presents no problem if hearts are 2-2 or diamonds 4-3.
Declarer can ruff a diamond in dummy and concede a diamond. But what if trumps are 3-1 and the diamonds break badly?
Observe how declarer handled the auction to give his partner maximum room to describe his holding at a comfortable level. First, because his long suit was not robust, South contented himself with a one heart opening bid rather than two clubs.
Then, when partner raised the suit, South continued with a help-suit inquiry which allowed partner to jump raise without getting above game-level.
South needed no more information to proceed to slam.
West led the queen of diamonds, taken in the closed hand with the king.
Declarer cashed the ace of trumps, took care to cross to the ace of spades and led a diamond from the table.
It would not have helped East to ruff “on air,” so the defender discarded a spade.
The rest was routine.
The ace of diamonds won, and a diamond was ruffed with the king of hearts.
Declarer returned to hand with a spade ruff and trumped the remaining diamond with the table’s last trump.
East could overruff or not, but it made no difference — one trump trick was all the defenders could get. Just another “routine” small slam.
2012 Tribune Media Services