BRIDGE

BRIDGE

North-South vulnerable. North deals.

NORTH

xA K 9

uK Q 8 4

v5

wK Q J 10 9

WEST EAST

x7 6 x5 3 2

u7 6 2 uA J 10

vQ J 10 4 vA 8 7 3

wA 8 6 2 w7 5 3

SOUTH

xQ J 10 8 4

u9 5 3

vK 9 6 2

w4

The bidding:

NORTH EAST SOUTH WEST

1w Pass 1x Pass

2u Pass 2x Pass

4x Pass Pass Pass

Opening lead: Queen of v

Here’s another deal from Eddie Kantar’s award-winning series “Thinking Bridge,” designed for players eager to improve their game:

“North’s reverse with this distribution shows 16-plus to 17 high-card points minimum, and is a one-round force. After opener reverses, responder goes out of his way to rebid a strongish five-card major. After South rebids two spades, North has an easy raise to four spades. A raise to three spades in this sequence is not considered forcing.

“Though sequence leads are desirable, with a singleton diamond likely to be in dummy there is much to be said for a heart lead, dummy’s second suit. As it happens, this lead puts short shrift to the contract. East captures dummy’s queen and returns the jack of hearts. When West gets in with the ace of clubs, he plays a heart to East’s ten. The ace of diamonds is the setting trick.

“With a diamond lead, East must project the ace of clubs in partner’s hand and shift to the jack of hearts. If West is alive to what is going on, he will win the first club and return a heart, allowing East to take two more tricks or four tricks in all.

“If a heart is not returned at trick two, declarer wins any return and attacks clubs. There is not much the defense can do once the ace of clubs is driven out besides taking the ace of hearts.”

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

2013 Tribune Media Services