BRIDGE

BRIDGE

Neither vulnerable. East deals.

NORTH

x10 9 6

u7 6 3

vA K J 10

w8 5 3

WEST EAST

xJ 7 4 x5 3

u9 2 uA K Q 8 4

v9 7 3 2 v8 5 4

w9 7 4 2 wQ J 10

SOUTH

xA K Q 8 2

uJ 10 5

vQ 6

wA K 6

The bidding:

EAST SOUTH WEST NORTH

1u Dbl Pass 2v

Pass 2x Pass 4x

Pass Pass Pass

Opening lead: Nine of u

Here’s another deal from Eddie Kantar’s award-winning series, “Thinking Bridge.”

North’s leap to game was only a slight stretch — after all, South had doubled and then introduced a new suit after a minimum response. With a doubleton in opener’s suit and a good five-card suit of his own, South’s sequence shows 17-19 points. Holding a singleton in opener’s bid suit, a double followed by introducing a five-card suit can be made with as few as 15-16 high-card points.

The lead of a high card in an unsupported suit shows shortness. Give West 9 6 2 of hearts, and the proper lead would be the deuce. Very important.

East knows that West has heart shortness and can confidently cash three heart tricks. On the third heart West must make a discard. Before discarding, a defender should ask himself: “Which suit do I want my partner to lead next?” The answer here is a fourth heart to promote the jack of spades to the setting trick. The next concern is how to get partner to lead that heart, particularly when another suit, clubs, might look attractive. The trick is to make a negative discard in the suit that looks attractive. Therefore, North discards a discouraging club, not a discouraging diamond, a suit partner was never going to lead in a thousand years. Help partner out! If partner leads a club, it is all over bar the shouting. South wins, draws trumps and pitches the club loser on a winning diamond.

2013 Tribune Media Services