BRIDGE

BRIDGE

Both vulnerable. West deals.

NORTH

x7 5 3 2

uA 4 2

vK 7

wJ 10 6 4

WEST EAST

xK J 10 6 4 xQ 9 8

u9 3 uJ 8 7

vJ 8 6 vQ 9 4 3

wK 8 2 wA Q 3

SOUTH

xA

uK Q 10 6 5

vA 10 5 2

w9 7 5

The bidding:

WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH

Pass Pass Pass 1u

1x 2u 2x 3u

Pass 4u Pass Pass

Pass

Opening lead: Jack of x

For some 30 years now, Britain’s House of Commons and House of Lords have resolved their differences over the bridge table. They play rubber bridge with duplicate boards, and there is little to choose between the two teams. The standard of bridge is quite high, as this deal testifies.

The bidding shown is with the Commoners sitting North-South. A modern expert might have rebid three diamonds with the South hand, but that would have made no difference to the final contract. With spade length and all his high-cards working, North knew that four hearts would be a reasonable spot.

West led the jack of spades, declarer winning perforce in the closed hand. South crossed to the king of diamonds and ruffed a spade. Ace of diamonds and a diamond ruff provided the entry for another spade ruff.

Declarer had six tricks in the bank. He ruffed a diamond with the ace of hearts for his seventh, and a spade with the ten for his eighth. The king and queen of trumps provided the fulfilling tricks.

In the other room their Lordships rested in two hearts, and the House of Commons grabbed a 500-point lead, but the Lords were not to be denied. Eventually, they ran out winners by 730 points.

2013 Tribune Media Services