bridge

bridge

North-South vulnerable. North deals.

NORTH

xA K 5

uA 5 4 3

vA 9 8 7

wQ J

WEST EAST

x10 3 xJ 9 8 6 4

uQ J 10 6 2 uVoid

v3 2 vQ J 10 6 4

wA 9 8 3 w7 5 2

SOUTH

xQ 7 2

uK 9 8 7

vK 5

wK 10 6 4

The bidding:

NORTH EAST SOUTH WEST

1v Pass 1u Pass

3u Pass 4u Pass

Pass Pass

Opening lead: Ten of x

This deal is from an early round in the Keohane North American Swiss Teams. North-South were playing 12-14 notrump opening bids and soon reached an eminently sound heart game that was in dire trouble because of the 5-0 trump distribution.

Declarer won the opening lead in dummy, led a low trump and learned of the 5-0 split. He played the seven from hand, losing to the ten. West shifted to a diamond, taken by the ace, and the queen of clubs lost to the ace. The diamond return went to the king and declarer crossed to the jack of clubs, came to hand with the queen of spades and cashed his two club tricks, discarding a spade and a diamond from the table.

With West down to nothing but trumps, declarer led his remaining spade. West ruffed with the six, dummy overruffed with the ace and a diamond was ruffed with the eight of trumps. West could overruff, but then was forced to lead a trump away from the queen into declarer’s king-nine tenace. Declarer lost only one club and two trump tricks!

2012 Tribune Media Services