BRIDGE

BRIDGE

East-West vulnerable. East deals.

NORTH

xJ 10 9 7 3

uK 7 4 3

v2

wK 9 4

WEST EAST

x6 xK 5 4

uA J 10 9 5 uQ 2

vK J 8 7 3 vA 10 5 4

w10 8 wQ J 5 3

SOUTH

xA Q 8 2

u8 6

vQ 9 6

wA 7 6 2

The bidding:

EAST SOUTH WEST NORTH

1v 1x 2u 4x

Pass Pass Pass

Opening lead: Seven of v

From time to time, we have written about the “intra-finesse.” Here’s an example from a recent World Championship.

At favorable vulnerability, South showed no fear in entering the auction with a less than robust four-card spade suit. North, with a favorably positioned king, excellent trump “support, a singleton and another king that was surely working, wasted no time in bouncing into game.

West led the seven of diamonds to East’s ace, and a trump was returned. Declarer ducked that and won in dummy with the seven. Since the contract could be claimed if trumps were evenly divided and the ace of hearts onside, declarer continued with the knave of trumps, repeating the finesse when East followed low. When the 3-1 spade break was revealed, declarer needed three club tricks to get home.

Another spade to the ace fetched his majesty, and a low club was covered with the eight and nine, losing to East’s jack. A heart was returned to the ace and dummy won the next heart with the king.

Declarer cashed the table’s king of clubs, noting the fall of the ten from West. Dummy’s remaining club was led and, when East followed with the five, declarer finessed the seven. When that held, declarer was home with five spade tricks, the king of hearts, a heart ruff in hand and three clubs.

2013 Tribune Media Services