bridge

bridge

Both vulnerable. South deals.

NORTH

x9 5 4

uA 8

vQ 10 9 6 4

w8 7 4

WEST EAST

xJ 7 6 3 xQ 10 8

uJ 9 7 2 uK 10 5

v8 5 2 vA 7 3

w10 6 wJ 9 5 2

SOUTH

xA K 2

uQ 6 4 3

vK J

wA K Q 3

The bidding:

SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST

2NT Pass 3NT Pass

Pass Pass

Opening lead: Two of u

On some deals, good play is enough to land your contract. On others, you are going to need a slice of luck into the bargain.

The auction is simple enough.South has a classic two-no-trump opener, and North has no reason to consider any other game.

Given any lead other than a heart, there is plenty of time to set up diamonds with the ace of hearts as the entry to the table. The same applies if the opening lead is from the king. But East won with the king at trick one and returned the suit, removing the only entry to the diamonds.

With just eight tricks available, declarer was quick to spot that, unless clubs broke evenly, there was only one hope for the contract — to endplay the defender who held the ace of diamonds. To accomplish that, the defender’s safe entry cards would have to be eliminated so, at trick three, the key play was made — a spade from dummy, ducked in the closed hand!

East persisted with a heart, removing declarer’s remaining stopper in the suit. Declarer led the king of diamonds in a vain attempt to lure a defender into winning with the ace — no luck. Declarer cashed the ace and king of spades and the three top clubs, West discarding a diamond. Now declarer had to hope that East held the ace of diamonds. The knave of diamonds was led and overtaken, and East was a gone goose! After winning the ace and cashing the high club, the defender was forced to concede a diamond to dummy for the fulfilling trick.

2012 Tribune Media Services