BRIDGE

BRIDGE

North-South vulnerable, South deals

NORTH

x9 3

uK Q 10 7

vK 9 8

wQ 7 4 3

WEST EAST

xK Q 10 x8 7 6

u8 6 2 uA 5 4

vQ 7 6 5 4 vJ 10 3 2

wK 10 wJ 6 5

SOUTH

xA J 5 4 2

uJ 9 3

vA

wA 9 8 2

The bidding:

SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST

1x Pass 1NT Pass

2w Pass 3w Pass

3u Pass 4u All pass

Opening lead: King of x

Today’s deal is from a recent match pitting a team from Ireland against a team from England. West was English star Tony Forrester.

East-West were playing ”upside-down signals,” so East’s play of the eight at trick one was easily read as discouraging. That method showed well on this deal as it would be impossible to clearly read the play of the six as discouraging. South’s opening bid added additional discouragement and Forrester shifted to the queen of diamonds, in case South held the singleton jack.

Declarer won in hand with the ace perforce and led a trump to dummy’s king. When that was allowed to hold the trick, South ruffed dummy’s low diamond as East played the 10, and then led another heart. Needing 3-3 hearts in any event, he overtook the jack with the queen. East won with the ace and led the jack of diamonds to the board’s king. Declarer had to find discards from his hand on the king of diamonds and the ensuing 10 of hearts. Both black suits were behaving well for him, but he chose to discard two spades and go after clubs.

When he next led a club to his ace, Forrester smoothly played the king! Declarer was certain that East started with 3-3-3-4 distribution, so he cashed the ace of spades, ruffed a spade, and exited with a low club. This would have end-played East had he started with the J-10-6-5 of clubs. East stepped up with the jack of clubs and led his carefully preserved low diamond to Forrester, who cashed another diamond for down one.

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