BRIDGE

BRIDGE

Both vulnerable. South deals.

NORTH

xA 3 2

u8 5 4

vK 3

wK J 10 8 3

WEST EAST

xQ x10 9 7 5

u10 6 2 uA K Q 9 3

v10 9 7 6 5 v8 2

w7 6 5 4 wA 9

SOUTH

xK J 8 6 4

uJ 7

vA Q J 4

wQ 2

The bidding:

SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST

1x Pass 2w 2u

Pass Pass 2x Pass

4x Pass Pass Pass

Opening lead: Two of u

It had been a great year for Trump Coup Tommy. Trumps had broken badly with regularity, transforming Tommy from a card-pusher into a technical genius. This hand was typical.

Tommy and his partner were playing that a two-over-one response was game-forcing unless opener rebid his suit, which accounts for North simply rebidding two spades after Tommy announced a minimum opener by passing at his second turn. Tommy had no ambitions beyond game, and his leap to four spades ended an uneventful auction.

The defenders started with three rounds of hearts, Tommy ruffing the third. When the queen of spades appeared on Tommy’s lead of a low spade to the ace, a trump was returned. Had East played low, Tommy intended inserting the eight. When, instead, East followed with the nine, Tommy won with jack and, abandoning trumps, Tommy led the queen of clubs. East could not afford to duck (Tommy would cross to dummy, repeat the trump finesse and claim 10 tricks). When East reverted to hearts after winning the ace of clubs, Tommy was forced to rely on a trump coup.

The king of diamonds was cashed, and clubs were run. When East chose not to ruff, Tommy simply discarded all his diamonds on the clubs, ending with K 8 of trumps in hand over East’s 10 7. Whether East ruffed high or low at trick 12, Tommy would overruff and draw the remaining trump to score his game.

2013 Tribune Media Services