bridge

bridge

Both vulnerable. South deals.

NORTH

xA Q J

u6 5

vK J 9 8

wK 6 3 2

WEST EAST

x9 2 xK 8 7 4

uJ 7 4 3 2 uA Q 8

v7 6 5 v10 4 3

wQ 10 4 wJ 7 5

SOUTH

x10 6 5 3

uK 10 9

vA Q 2

wA 9 8

The bidding:

SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST

1w Pass 1v Pass

1NT Pass 3NT Pass

Pass Pass

Opening lead: Three of u

We continue with our weekly hand from Eddie Kantar’s excellent series “Thinking Bridge,” designed for those who want to improve their skills.

Once South has limited his hand, North is not strong enough to try for slam, and there is no point in showing club support with a balanced hand facing a balanced hand. South’s pattern and poor spade suit make one no trump a better second bid than one spade.

This heart combination is one to recognize. It is one of the few times that third hand does not play high when partner leads low versus notrump, and dummy has only low cards. The play of the queen is a far better play than the ace. If partner has the king, it makes no difference which one you play; but if declarer has the king, he dare not duck for fear the lead was from the ace-jack. If you play the ace and then the queen, declarer can hold up and now, when you get in with the king of spades, you (East) will be heartless, and partner’s two winning hearts go to bed. Instead of going down one, declarer winds up with an overtrick.

An advanced spinoff of this play is when as third hand you have A J x with an outside entry and know partner has led from a five-card suit perhaps headed by the queen. If you play ace-jack, declarer holds up and when you get in with your only side-suit entry, you won’t have any more cards in partner’s suit to return. Bummer. But if you play the jack and declarer wins the king, fearing partner has led from the ace-queen, you take four more tricks when you get in.

For more information on “Thinking Bridge” and other Kantar writings, go to www.knatarbridge.com.

2012 Tribune Media Services