BRIDGE

BRIDGE

Both vulnerable, West deals

NORTH

xJ 10 2

u7 6 4

v7 5

wK 10 6 5 3

WEST EAST

xA K Q 7 6 3 x9 8 5 4

uA 3 uJ 10 8 2

v9 4 2 vQ

w7 4 wQ 9 8 2

SOUTH

xVoid

uK Q 9 5

vA K J 10 8 6 3

wA J

The bidding:

WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH

2x Pass 3x Dbl

Pass 4w Pass 5v

All pass

Opening lead: Ace of x

This is another deal from the recent international competition in India. South was Zia Mahmood, originally from Pakistan, but a longtime resident of the USA. West’s two-spade bid, we think, was an Acol two bid, showing a strong but limited hand.

Zia ruffed the opening spade lead and cashed four rounds of diamonds, noting three spade discards from East. Declarer now led the king of hearts to West’s ace. West continued with another spade, ruffed by Zia as East shed a club.

The contract had many chances at this point, and Zia’s next move was to lead a low heart from his hand, hoping that the hearts split 3-3, or that West had started with ace-jack or ace-10 doubleton. The low heart went to East’s eight, and East continued with the jack of hearts. Zia won with the queen as West discarded a spade. The hearts hadn’t split as Zia had hoped but he now had a perfect count on the hand. The lead of Zia’s last trump assured the contract. Either West had started with a doubleton queen of clubs or East would not be able to keep three clubs and a heart. Should the long heart in his hand not be good, the long club in dummy had to be good. A very nicely played hand!

In the replay, declarer went astray by playing clubs too early and finished down one with three heart losers.

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