BRIDGE

BRIDGE

Both vulnerable. South deals.

NORTH

xVoid

uJ 9 7 5 4

vA 10 9

wK Q 9 7 6

WEST EAST

xK 9 8 6 5 4 xJ 10 7 3

u8 6 3 2 uVoid

v2 v8 7 6 5 4

w4 3 wA J 10 2

SOUTH

xA Q 2

uA K Q 10

vK Q J 3

w8 5

The bidding:

SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST

2NT Pass 3v Pass

4u Pass 6u Pass

Pass Pass

Opening lead: Two of v

Before playing to the first trick, plan your campaign. But be flexible — the play to the first couple of tricks might force you to find an alternative means of getting home!

These days a balanced hand of 22 points with three suits stopped is good enough to open with two no trump — it is too difficult to bid this type of hand accurately if you choose some other approach. North’s three diamonds was a transfer to hearts and South’s jump in hearts showed a maximum opening with good four-card heart support. North needed no further encouragement to contract for slam.

West led the two of diamonds, possibly a singleton. Declarer needed to ruff two spades in dummy to land the slam, but a simple hand became rather complicated when the nine of diamonds won the first trick and East discarded on a trump lead from the table. If declarer elects to establish a 12th trick by leading a club to the queen before drawing all the trumps, East might be able to win and give partner a diamond ruff. On the other hand, declarer must be careful not to release the ace of spades before drawing all the trumps, because the defenders might then be able to cash a spade on gaining the lead with ace of clubs.

The hand needed delicate timing. At trick three declarer ruffed the two of spades on the table, returned to hand with a trump to ruff the queen of spades and then drew the remaining trumps. Now it was time to lead a club to the queen and ace, and the rest of the tricks were there for the taking since the ace of spades in hand controlled that suit. In all, declarer collected six trump tricks (two by ruffs), four diamonds and one in each black suit.

2013 Tribune Media Services