bridge

bridge

East-West vulnerable. South deals.

NORTH

xA 10 7 4

u6 3

vK 6 5

wA K 10 4

WEST EAST

x6 3 xQ 9 8 5 2

uQ J 10 8 4 uA 7 5

vQ J 9 2 v8

w6 3 wQ J 9 2

SOUTH

xK J

uK 9 2

vA 10 7 4 3

w8 7 5

The bidding:

SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST

1v 1u Dbl 2v

Pass 2u Dbl Pass

3v Pass 3u Pass

3NT Pass Pass Pass

Opening lead: Queen of u

With a combined 15 high-card points, 11 of which were in secondary honors,

East-West were not shy in the auction. East’s two-diamond bid was a heart raise.

Against three no trump West made the normal lead of the queen of hearts, ducked all around, followed by a heart continuation to the ace and a heart back, on which declarer discarded a spade from the table.

Declarer crossed to the king of clubs and led a diamond to the ace to protect against a doubleton honor with West and continued with a diamond to the king, East discarding a spade.

A finesse of the jack of spades won but when the diamonds broke 4-1, the contract failed by a trick.

Note the difference if declarer had discarded a club from dummy instead of a spade at trick three. After cashing the king of spades, in the endgame declarer can throw East in with the third round of clubs to force a spade lead into the table’s tenace for the ninth trick!

2012 Tribune Media Services