BRIDGE

BRIDGE

Both vulnerable. North deals.

NORTH

xQ J

uK 10 6 3

vK J 7

wA K 5 3

WEST EAST

xK 10 8 7 5 3 x6 2

u7 2 uA 4

vA 9 v10 8 6 4 3

wJ 9 4 wQ 10 7 6

SOUTH

xA 9 4

uQ J 9 8 5

vQ 5 2

w8 2

The bidding:

NORTH EAST SOUTH WEST

1NT Pass 3u Pass

4u Pass Pass Pass

Opening lead: Ace of v

Do not be fooled. Those charming people seated to your left and right at the bridge table do not have your best interests at heart. But there is no need to submit meekly to their evil plots.

The auction is good old- fashioned Standard American. The only difference with a more scientific approach is that, if North-South employ transfer bids, North would be the declarer — and face the same predicament if East leads a diamond.

West led the ace of diamonds and continued with the nine. It was obvious what the defenders had in mind — a diamond ruff. That would do no harm if the spade finesse was going to be successful — declarer would lose only a diamond, a diamond ruff and the ace of trumps. But what if the spade finesse was doomed to fail?

There was no sure way to guard against that, but declarer did as well as possible. After winning the second trick with the queen of diamonds, declarer cashed the ace and king of clubs and ruffed a club with the eight of hearts. If West overruffed, that defender would have no way to get to his partner’s hand for the diamond ruff.

When West followed to the third club, declarer exited with the queen of hearts to East’s ace. West duly obtained a diamond ruff to complete the defensive book. But the partial strip had been successful. Down to nothing but spades, West was forced to lead from the king into South’s combined tenace, and declarer’s spade loser vanished!

2013 Tribune Media Services