bridge

bridge

Both vulnerable. South deals.

NORTH

xQ J 6 3

uQ 7

v10 4 3

wQ J 9 5

WEST EAST

x9 7 4 x10 8 5 2

uJ 10 9 6 3 u8 5 4 2

v8 vA K Q

wK 10 7 4 w8 3

SOUTH

xA K

uA K

vJ 9 7 6 5 2

wA 6 2

The bidding:

SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST

1v Pass 1x Pass

2NT Pass 3NT Pass

Pass Pass

Opening lead: Jack of u

When the points are more or less evenly divided between declarer’s hand and the table, 23-24 points are often enough to make nine tricks at no trump. The more unbalanced the strength, the more you usually need to take the same number of tricks. When one hand gets into the middle or high twenties, even a combined 30 points might not be enough. Here, with a combined 27, declarer had to work hard to fulfill his contract.

The auction is straightforward. With so much strength concentrated in the short suits, declarer treated his hand as balanced, and the notrump game was reached in short order.

West led a heart, attacking declarer’s weakest point. There were plenty of tricks available, but a shortage of dummy entries made it difficult to develop and cash them. Declarer found a pretty way around the impasse.

The first trick was won in the closed hand perforce, and the ace and king of spades were cashed to unblock the suit. Next, a low club was led and West could not afford to rise with the king since that would establish the suit and provide an entry to the table. When the jack won, declarer cashed the queen of spades, discarding the ace of hearts from hand.

A club to the ace and another club completed the defenders’ discomfort. West won with the king but the defenders could do no better than cash three top diamonds before conceding the rest of the tricks to dummy’s winners.

2012 Tribune Media Services