BRIDGE
BRIDGE
Neither vulnerable. North deals.
NORTH
x10 5 3
uA J 9
vA K 3
wA Q 6 4
WEST EAST
x7 4 2 x6
uK 10 6 4 u8 7 5 3 2
v10 9 7 6 vQ 8 5 4
w10 2 wK J 7
SOUTH
xA K Q J 9 8
uQ
vJ 2
w9 8 5 3
The bidding:
NORTH EAST SOUTH WEST
1w Pass 1x Pass
2NT Pass 4w* Pass
4NT Pass 6x Pass
Pass Pass
*Gerber, asking for aces
Opening lead: 10 of v
The English ladies team has been a force in European competitions for a long time. Nevena Senior, South in today’s deal, has been a member of that team for many years.
She won the opening diamond lead in dummy, led a trump to her hand, and led the queen of hearts. West would not have covered had she known the queen was singleton, but how could she know that? She covered and Senior won with the ace, cashed the jack, discarding a club, and ruffed the nine of hearts. She cashed one more trump before leading a diamond to the king and ruffing a diamond, leaving this position:
NORTH
x10
uVoid
vVoid
wA Q 6 4
WEST EAST
x7 xVoid
u10 u8
v9 vQ
w10 2 wK J 7
SOUTH
xK 9
uVoid
vVoid
w9 8 5
Senior led the eight of clubs and passed it to East’s jack. East had the unpleasant choice of leading a club into the board’s ace-queen or yielding a ruff-sluff. Either way, declarer’s club loser disappeared and she could draw the outstanding trump later.
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