BRIDGE

BRIDGE

Both vulnerable. South deals.

NORTH

xK 9 8 7

u9 7 4 2

v8 3

wA 7 6

WEST EAST

x2 x5 4

uA K Q J 5 u8 3

vK J 10 4 v9 7 6 5 2

wQ J 9 w10 8 4 3

SOUTH

xA Q J 10 6 3

u10 6

vA Q

wK 5 2

The bidding:

SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST

1x Dbl 2x Pass

3w 3u 4x Pass

Opening lead: King of u

Study the bidding and play of this deal, then decide: Who, if anyone, erred in the play?

North’s two spades over West’s takeout double is normal by any standard. South’s three clubs was a help-suit game try and West judged his hand as worth competing with three hearts. With good trump support and help in the key suit, North jumped to four spades, which became the final contract.

West started with three top hearts, declarer ruffing the third. Trumps were drawn in two rounds, ending in dummy, and the remaining heart was ruffed high in the closed hand. Next came the deuce of clubs, covered by the nine and taken with the ace. Reading the cards perfectly, declarer continued with the king of clubs and another. West won, but was forced to lead a diamond into declarer’s tenace or concede a ruff-sluff, making four-odd.

West could have defeated the contract by unblocking the queen and jack of clubs on the first two rounds of the suit. That would permit East to win the third round with the ten and lead a diamond through declarer’s ace-queen, and the defenders must collect a diamond for down one.

However, declarer could have made the contract no matter how the defense wriggled after the third round of hearts is ruffed. Declarer should run all the trumps, reducing all hands to five cards. West must keep a heart to guard against dummy’s nine and the guarded king of diamonds, so must come down to only two clubs. Now declarer cashes the king and ace of clubs and throws West on lead with the heart, discarding the losing club on this trick, to force a lead into the diamond tenace.

Since four spades can be made with proper play, declarer must be charged if justice is to be served.

2012 Tribune Media Services