bridge

bridge

Both vulnerable. North deals.

NORTH

x9 4 3

uA J

v8 4

wA K 8 6 5 4

WEST EAST

xQ 6 x7 2

u10 8 7 5 3 uK 9 6

vK J 9 6 3 vA 10 7 5 2

wJ wQ 10 9

SOUTH

xA K J 10 8 5

uQ 4 2

vQ

w7 3 2

The bidding:

NORTH EAST SOUTH WEST

1w Pass 1x Pass

2w Pass 3x Pass

4x Pass Pass Pass

Opening lead: Five of u

Consider the spade suit in isolation. Playing to drop the queen has a slight edge over taking the finesse — unless there are other considerations.

The auction is fairly straightforward. South’s hand was borderline between an invitational jump to three spades or just bidding four. With two red queens of undetermined value, the cautious three spades is a sounder approach regardless of the vulnerability. North’s raise to game is easy.

West led a low heart, dummy’s jack losing to East’s king. East switched to the ace of diamonds and continued the suit, declarer ruffing. There was a possible loser in each black suit. Clubs could be played only one way for no loser, while trumps offered a choice. How would you tackle the hand?

Declarer chose a line that catered to two possibilities — a 3-1 club distribution providing it was West who held the singleton, or finding East with three trumps to the queen. Declarer crossed to the ace of hearts, returned to hand with the ace of trumps and discarded a club from dummy on the queen of hearts. After clearing one high club from dummy, declarer led a trump from the table and finessed the jack!

West was delighted to win a trick with the now blank queen of spades, but it helped the defense not a wit. Down to nothing but red cards, West was forced to yield a ruff-sluff, allowing declarer to trump in dummy while discarding the losing club from hand.

What if West had a club to return? Declarer could still make the contract if clubs were 2-2. All told, the combined odds were much better than relying only on a 2-2 break in one of the black suits.

2012 Tribune Media Services