ybridge

ybridge

East-West vulnerable. South deals.

NORTH

xK 6 4

u9 7 4 2

vA Q J

wA 6 2

WEST EAST

xJ 7 5 xQ 10 8 3

uK Q J u6

v9 7 5 vK 10 6 4 3 2

wQ 10 8 3 w9 7

SOUTH

xA 9 2

uA 10 8 5 3

v8

wK J 5 4

The bidding:

SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST

1u Pass 2NT Pass

3v Pass 4u Pass

Pass Pass

Opening lead: King of u

Declarer, presented with a choice of finesses, spurned the obvious and found the winning line. Can you spot the play?

North’s jump to two no trump was a forcing raise in hearts and South’s three diamonds, by agreement, showed a singleton. That cooled any ardor North might have had, and four hearts became the final contract.

West led the king of hearts, and was allowed to hold the trick. The heart continuation was won by declarer with the ace and the fact that another trump trick had to be lost did not surprise declarer. South’s next play assured the contract — a low diamond to the jack!

Had that held the trick, declarer would have discarded his spade loser on the ace of diamonds and, after the club finesse lost, would ruff the remaining club in dummy and so lose only two trumps and a club. When East won the king of diamonds and shifted to a club, declarer revealed the wisdom of finessing diamonds into the safe hand.

South followed with a low club from hand and won in dummy with the ace. The two high diamonds were cashed, declarer discarding a loser from each black suit, then the ace and king of spades were followed by a spade ruff. Now declarer threw West on lead with a trump and claimed the rest of the tricks. If West had either a spade or a diamond to return, the ruff-sluff would eliminate the club loser. And a club return would be into declarer’s king-jack tenace, assuring the contract no matter which defender held the queen.

2012 Tribune Media Services