BRIDGE

BRIDGE

North-South vulnerable. West deals.

NORTH

xA 10 7 6

uA 8 7

v3

wA J 7 5 2

WEST EAST

xQ J 8 5 xK 4 3 2

uVoid uJ 10 5 2

vA Q 10 8 7 vK 4

wK Q 10 4 w9 8 3

SOUTH

x9

uK Q 9 6 4 3

vJ 9 6 5 2

w6

The bidding:

WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH

1v Dbl Pass 4u

Pass Pass Pass

Opening lead: King of w

Many players would have responded with the East hand. A bid of one heart might have kept North-South out of game. We’ll never know.

South won the opening club lead in dummy and led a diamond to his nine and West’s 10. West returned a diamond, ruffed in dummy as declarer noted the fall of the king from East. South cashed the ace of spades and ruffed a spade, then led a diamond, carefully ruffing with the ace of trumps. Declarer came back to his hand with another spade ruff and led a fourth round of diamonds, this time ruffing with dummy’s last trump, the eight.

East over-ruffed with the 10 and made an excellent shift — a low trump. Had he led a black card, South would have ruffed and cashed a high trump, learning the bad news there. He would then have exited with his last diamond and sat back with the queen-nine of trumps, assured of winning the last two tricks. On the heart play, declarer had to guess the position right then. Should he play the king of hearts, he would not be able to reach a winning position. South was surprised to see a trump lead and asked himself the classic question — why that play? After some thought, he gave East credit for making an excellent play and made one of his own. He inserted the nine of trumps and claimed his contract when that held the trick. Well done!

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