bridge

bridge

Both vulnerable. North deals.

NORTH

xQ J 2

u7 6 5 4

vK 5 4

wK Q J

WEST EAST

x8 6 4 x7 5

uA K 8 3 uQ J 10 9

vQ 10 7 vJ 9 8 6

w7 6 2 w8 5 4

SOUTH

xA K 10 9 3

u2

vA 3 2

wA 10 9 3

The bidding:

NORTH EAST SOUTH WEST

1w Pass 1x Pass

1NT Pass 3w Pass

3x Pass 4NT Pass

5w Pass 6x Pass

Pass Pass

Opening lead: King of u

We are not sure that North’s opening bid with a balanced hand of 12 points, mostly in secondary honors, appeals to us, but it did not affect the final contract. All that remains is to take 12 tricks after West leads the king of hearts.

West led the king of hearts and continued the suit when East signaled with the queen. Declarer ruffed, drew trumps and ran his winners in the hope of a defensive miscue. That did not transpire and declarer lost a diamond for down one.

Declarer did not make full use of dummy’s greatest asset — the trump honors. As long as spades broke 3-2, the contract was virtually laydown via a dummy reversal.

Declarer should cash one high trump, then cross to dummy with the jack of clubs to ruff a heart high. Now declarer gets back to the table with the king of diamonds, ruffs another heart with a high trump and plays the ten of spades to dummy’s jack. He draws the outstanding trump with the queen as he parts with his diamond loser, and declarer’s hand is high. Six spades bid and made!

2012 Tribune Media Services