BRIDGE

BRIDGE

North-South vulnerable. West deals.

NORTH

xA 7

uK 7 5

vK 9 8 4 3

wA 10 7

WEST EAST

xJ 10 2 xQ 9 3

uA u10 8 6 2

vA Q 7 5 2 vJ 10 6

wQ 9 4 2 wK 6 5

SOUTH

xK 8 6 5 4

uQ J 9 4 3

vVoid

wJ 8 3

The bidding:

WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH

1v 1NT Pass 2u*

Pass 2x Pass 3u

Pass 3NT Pass 4u

Pass Pass Pass

*transfer

Opening lead: Ace of v

This deal is from a World Pairs Championship some years ago. Sitting North-South were a Polish pair, their opponents from Brazil.

North’s decision to bid one notrump over the Polish West’s one diamond opening seems somewhat strange. South transferred into spades, then bid hearts naturally.

The ace of diamonds lead was ruffed in the closed hand.

Declarer cashed the ace and king of spades, then ruffed a spade. The king of hearts lost to the ace, but one club loser went away on the king of diamonds. Making four hearts with an overtrick by finessing East for the ten of hearts.

In the other room the Brazil pair got no further than three hearts, and ended up with a couple of overtricks via a trump coup.

2012 Tribune Media Services