bridge

bridge

Both vulnerable. North deals.

NORTH

xK 9

uA 9 7 2

vQ J 10 9 4

wK 8

WEST EAST

x4 3 x10 7 6 2

u10 8 5 uK Q 6 4

vK 6 3 2 v8 7 5

wQ 10 6 5 w9 2

SOUTH

xA Q J 8 5

uJ 3

vA

wA J 7 4 3

The bidding:

NORTH EAST SOUTH WEST

1v Pass 1x Pass

1NT Pass 3w Pass

3x Pass 4w Pass

4u Dbl 4NT Pass

5u Pass 6x Pass

Pass Pass

Opening lead: Five of u

We cannot state too often that defense is the most difficult facet of bridge to master. On this deal from a national championship event, an oft-time world and national champion, sitting West, found a defense that many would miss even with all four hands in full view!

Note North’s preference to three spades with a doubleton king rather than the stultifying three no trump. North’s cue-bid of four hearts allowed East to make a lead-directing double. Four no trump was Roman Key-Card Blackwood where the king of the agreed trump suit counts as a fifth ace, and North-South ended in six spades.

Peter Weichsel, West, dutifully led a heart. Declarer won in dummy with the ace, crossed to the ace of diamonds, then returned to the table with the king of trumps to run the queen of diamonds, discarding a heart when East did not cover. Weichsel ducked smoothly! When declarer repeated the ruffing finesse, pitching a club from hand, Weichsel won with the king and returned a diamond for East to ruff. Declarer overruffed, but one of the North-South winners had disappeared.

Declarer tried to recover by drawing trumps, discarding another club on the long diamond and then finessing the jack, but West won the queen for the setting trick. Beautiful!

Observe that if West wins the king of diamonds at the first opportunity, declarer gets home. Suppose West reverts to hearts. Declarer ruffs, draws all the trumps and then crosses to the king of clubs to discard three club losers on the high diamonds.

2012 Tribune Media Services