BRIDGE

BRIDGE

East-West vulnerable. North deals.

NORTH

xJ 8 2

u10 5 2

vA Q 8

wA 9 7 4

WEST EAST

x7 5 x4 3

uQ J uK 8 7 6 3

vK 10 9 3 vJ 7 2

wK J 10 6 2 w8 5 3

SOUTH

xA K Q 10 9 6

uA 9 4

v6 5 4

wQ

The bidding:

NORTH EAST SOUTH WEST

Pass Pass 1x Pass

2w Pass 4x Pass

Pass Pass

Opening lead: Five of x

A critical decision at duplicate bridge is the battle for the maximum result. In a World Olympiad Pairs encounter, Anton Maas of the Netherlands found an elegant way to land an overtrick on this deal.

North’s two clubs was the Drury Convention, asking the strength of South’s third-hand opening. South bid what he thought he could make.

Declarer won the opening trump lead with dummy’s eight and led a low club toward the closed hand! That was a two-edged sword. It might steal a trick in clubs and, should the queen lose to the king, the nine of clubs could be established if either defender started with J 10 x in the suit. West won with the king and reverted to spades, won with the jack in dummy. A club was ruffed in the closed hand and the queen of diamonds was successfully finessed.

After discarding a diamond on the ace of clubs, declarer ruffed a club, crossed back to the ace of diamonds and completed stripping the minor suits by ruffing a diamond.

Now declarer cashed the ace of hearts and exited with a heart, and the defenders were faced with a Hobson’s Choice. If West was allowed to hold the second heart, the defender would have to concede a ruff-sluff. If East overtook the queen of hearts with the king, dummy’s ten would become the 11th trick. There was no escape, and even a heart opening lead would have fared no better and the result was an overtrick for North-South. Analyze how declarer would proceed if you doubt our statement.

2012 Tribune Media Services