bridge

bridge

Both vulnerable. South deals.

NORTH

xQ 10 2

u8 4 3

vQ J 4 3

w8 4 2

WEST EAST

x7 6 4 3 x9 8 5

u10 7 6 2 u9

vK 9 7 6 v10 8 5 2

wQ wA J 10 9 7

SOUTH

xA K J

uA K Q J 5

vA

wK 6 5 3

The bidding:

SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST

2w Pass 2v Pass

2u Pass 2NT Pass

3w Pass 3u Pass

4u Pass Pass Pass

Opening lead: Queen of w

Barring a 5-0 heart split, there are nine easy tricks at three no trump. However, we would be prepared to wager that 99 percent of bridge players would reach four hearts. After all, at rubber bridge you get 100 honors!

West attacked with the queen of clubs. East rose with the ace and returned the jack, covered by the king and ruffed by West, who got off lead with a trump.

Declarer had lost two tricks and was looking at two club losers. He found an ingenious way to get rid of one of them, which could succeed if West held the king of diamonds.

Declarer drew all the trumps, cashed the aces of diamonds and spades and continued with the jack of spades, overtaking with the queen in dummy. Next, declarer led dummy’s queen of diamonds, discarding the king of spades from hand.

Down to nothing but spades and diamonds, West had to put dummy on lead. No matter which suit West leads, dummy scores the top spade and diamond, and declarer has 10 tricks.

2012 Tribune Media Services