bridge

bridge

Both vulnerable. South deals.

NORTH

xQ 6 3

uA J 7 4

vJ 10 6 3

wK 7

WEST EAST

xA 8 5 x9 4 2

u2 uQ 10 8 6

v9 7 5 4 vK 8 2

w10 9 8 4 3 w6 5 2

SOUTH

xK J 10 7

uK 9 5 3

vA Q

wA Q J

The bidding:

SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST

2NT Pass 3w Pass

3u Pass 4w Pass

4vPass 4u Pass

4x Pass 5u Pass

Pass Pass

Opening lead: Ten of w

Look just at the North-South heart holding in the diagram above. What is the correct way to tackle the suit? The answer is that you cannot know until you learn how many tricks you can afford to lose in it! It is relevant to this deal.

Using a range of 20-22, South had a perfectly normal two no trump. After North’s Stayman inquiry located the heart fit, the four-club cue-bid hinted at slam. After cue-bidding diamonds in return South should have respected North’s sign-off in four hearts. Bidding again with minimum values got the pair to an uncomfortable level.

West’s lead of the ten of clubs was won in dummy with the king. How trumps were going to be handled depended on how many side-suit losers there were, so at trick two declarer led a diamond to the queen, which held.

Since there was now only one loser outside the trump suit, declarer could afford to lose a trump trick and there was a safety play available should either defender hold four hearts. Declarer led a trump to the ace and continued with a low trump from the table. When East followed, declarer inserted the nine. West discarded on this trick, so declarer was able to cash the king of hearts, force out the ace of spades and concede a trump trick to make five-odd.

What if East showed out on the second heart? Declarer would rise with the king and later lead a trump toward the jack for the same result, thanks to the friendly lie of the side suits.

2012 Tribune Media Services