BRIDGE

BRIDGE

Neither vulnerable, North deals.

NORTH

xA 6

uJ

vK Q J 5 4 2

wA J 10 9

WEST EAST

x9 7 xK 8 2

u10 9 7 3 uK Q 8

v8 7 v10 9 6

wK 8 7 5 3 wQ 6 4 2

SOUTH

xQ J 10 5 4 3

uA 6 5 4 2

vA 3

wVoid

The bidding:

NORTH EAST SOUTH WEST

1v Pass 1x Pass

3w Pass 3u Pass

3x Pass 4NT Pass

5u Dbl 6x All pass

Opening lead: 10 of u

Today’s deal is from a match some years ago between Tunisia and Wales. East, playing for Tunisia, was a player known to us only as Abdelmalek.

A couple of North’s bids, namely, three clubs and three spades, would not meet with universal approval. His one-diamond bid, however, was excellent. The opening heart lead, guided by East’s double, went to the jack, queen, and ace. Declarer could have succeeded at this point by ruffing two hearts in dummy as long as he crossed back to his hand with club ruffs. When East finally gained the lead with the king of trumps, he would have no heart to cash.

South had no way to know this, of course, so he tried the alternate line of taking the spade finesse. West might well have had king doubleton of spades, and the contract would still be on solid ground if the finesse lost. South could handle any return by East, including another heart, as long as trumps split 3-2. Our good friend Abner, the great mathematician, tells us that a 3-2 split is a 68 percent chance. Abdelmalek saw this coming and brilliantly ducked his king of spades! There was now no way for declarer to avoid the loss of one trump and at least one heart. Lovely play!

We know nothing about bridge in Tunisia, and Abdelmalek’s duck might be the single best play ever made by a Tunisian player. We suspect, however, that his fine play indicates that there are some very good bridge players living in that country.

2016 Tribune Content Agency