BRIDGE

BRIDGE

Both vulnerable. South deals.

NORTH

x4 3 2

uA J 6 5 4 3

v9 6

wJ 6

WEST EAST

x8 5 xK Q 9 6

u7 uK 9

vA J 8 5 4 v10 7 3 2

w8 7 4 3 2 wA 10 5

SOUTH

xA J 10 7

uQ 10 8 2

vK Q

wK Q 9

The bidding:

SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST

1NT Pass 2v* Pass

3u** Pass 4u Pass

Pass Pass

*Transfer

**Max with 4 hearts

Opening lead: Two of w

Today’s deal is from a tournament in Brazil a few months ago. South was a top Brazilian player, Marcelo Branco.

East won the opening club lead with the ace and shifted to the king of spades. South won with the ace as West played the eight, discouraging in their methods. Declarer led the 10 of hearts for the ill-fated trump finesse. East won his king and cashed his queen of spades while Branco smoothly followed suit with the jack!

East-West were using ”third and fifth” leads, so East knew that South had started with exactly three clubs. Who could blame him for thinking that South also started with a doubleton spade, ergo four diamonds. Not wanting to make a diamond play for declarer, East returned what he thought was a safe club. OOPS! Branco won his king, drew the remaining trump with the queen, and discarded one diamond from dummy on the queen of clubs.

Branco knew that West did not have the nine of spades, or he would have played that card to discourage at trick two rather than the eight. He crossed to dummy with a trump and led dummy’s last spade, inserting his seven when East played low. The 10 of spades provided a discard for dummy’s last diamond. Contract made!

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