bridge

bridge

Both vulnerable. South deals.

NORTH

xJ

uQ 10

vK J 10 7 6 5 4 2

wK 6

WEST EAST

xA 10 9 8 6 3 xQ 7 5 4

uJ 7 2 uA 9 5

vVoid v9 8 3

wJ 8 7 4 w10 5 2

SOUTH

xK 2

uK 8 6 4 3

vA Q

wA Q 9 3

The bidding:

SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST

1w 2x 3v 3x

3NT Pass 4v Pass

6NT Pass Pass Pass

Opening lead: Ace of x

We continue with deals from the recent ACBL Fall North American Championships held in Seattle. This deal is from the Kaplan Blue Ribbon Pairs. Sitting East-West were Kornel Lazar, a Hungarian expert, and Gerald Lackner.

South’s one club bid was forcing, West made a two-spade weak jump overcall and the auction soon ended in six no trump, a contract that only an expert pair could reach — most average players would have discovered two aces were missing and stayed out of slam. Still...

Lackner led the ace of spades and Lazar had a problem — how could he get his partner to find the heart shift, without which declarer would be able run 12 tricks? The answer was simple — he discarded the queen of spades! That denied the king and had to be a suit preference signal for the highest ranking of the remaining suits. The heart shift resulted in a quick down one!

2012 Tribune Media Services