BRIDGE

BRIDGE

Neither vulnerable. South deals.

NORTH

xK J 9

u7 4 2

v9 8 7

wJ 10 7 4

WEST EAST

x10 8 7 5 x6 4

u5 3 uA J 10 9

vA J 4 v10 6 3 2

wK 8 6 5 w9 3 2

SOUTH

xA Q 3 2

uK Q 8 6

vK Q 5

wA Q

The bidding:

SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST

2NT Pass 3NT Pass

Pass Pass

Opening lead: Five of x

East-West found a lovely defense to defeat a seemingly unbeatable contract. West was Michel Eidi of Greece and Lebanon. The deal is from the Cavendish Invitational held earlier this year in Monte Carlo. Eidi won the teams competition there, with some help from his teammates.

The opening spade lead was won in dummy with the nine. South led a heart to his king, East ducking his ace, then played the ace of clubs followed by the queen. West allowed this to hold, and declarer shifted to a spade to dummy’s jack in order to lead the jack of clubs.

West won with his king and made an imaginative shift to the jack of diamonds. The effect of this play was profound. South won with his king, led a spade to dummy’s king, and cashed the last club. East discarded hearts and kept all his diamonds. When declarer next led a heart, East won with his ace and fired back a low diamond. South, a world champion, gave this a long “think.” Convinced that West held the 10 of diamonds for his shift to the jack, he rose with his queen. West captured this with his ace and played a diamond back to East’s 10, who then cashed his long diamond for the setting trick. Well done!

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