BRIDGE

BRIDGE

North-South vulnerable. South deals.

NORTH

x6

uA K 9 8 5

v10 8 6 5

wQ 7 6

WEST EAST

xQ 10 7 3 x9 5 4

uJ uQ 10 6 4 3

v9 4 vK J 7 3 2

wK 10 5 4 3 2 wVoid

SOUTH

xA K J 8 2

u7 2

vA Q

wA J 9 8

The bidding:

SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST

1x Pass 1NT Pass

3w Pass 3NT Pass

Pass Dbl 4w Pass

5w Dbl Pass Pass

Pass

Opening lead: Two of w

Here’s another deal from an ACBL North American Team Championship. For some reason North, who contracted for three no trump, developed cold feet when West made a speculative double. That got declarer into hot water, but excellent technique landed the doubled game.

Facing a partner who makes a jump shift, it would seem that redouble by North would have been better than four clubs. Expecting four-card support, South continued to game, and West felt on firmer grounds when he could double five clubs.

South won the opening lead in hand with the eight as East discarded a diamond. Unflustered by the 6-0 trump split, declarer went about her business. She led a heart to the ace, cashed the ace and king of spades and ruffed a spade. A diamond to the queen held, the ace of diamonds was cashed (a key play) and another spade was ruffed with the board’s last trump.

Eight tricks had been played, all won by declarer, and the lead was in dummy. West was down to five trumps while declarer held A J 9 of trumps and two plain-suit cards. Declarer could lead any card from dummy and play a plain suit from hand. West was forced to ruff and lead a club into declarer’s tenace. Declarer won with the nine and exited with the remaining plain-suit card. Again, West had to ruff and lead a trump into South’s tenace, and declarer lost only two trump tricks!

2013 Tribune Media Services