BRIDGE

BRIDGE

East-West vulnerable, South deals

NORTH

xA Q 7 5

uK 5

vA 6 5 2

wK Q J

WEST EAST

xK J 9 8 3 2 x10 6

uVoid u10 9 8 7 2

vK Q J v10 9 7

w9 6 4 2 w10 8 3

SOUTH

x4

uA Q J 6 4 3

v8 4 3

wA 7 5

The bidding:

SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST

1u 1x Dbl- Pass

2u Pass 4NT Pass

5u Pass 6u All pass

-Negative, values with no clear bid

Opening lead: King of v

The king of spades was almost certainly onside from the bidding, so the contract was cold as long as trumps split no worse than 4-1. South, a careful declarer, gave some thought to the possibility of a 5-0 trump split. Nothing could be done if West held all five missing trumps, but there was a chance if it was East who held five trumps.

South won the opening diamond lead with dummy’s ace and then made the strange looking play of leading a low trump to his jack. When West showed out, declarer had to go to ”Plan B”. He led his spade to dummy’s queen and then discarded a diamond on the ace of spades. South now cashed three rounds of clubs, ending in the dummy, and led a spade. Had East ruffed high, South would have discarded a diamond and easily taken the rest of the tricks. East, however, discarded a diamond, so South ruffed the spade. Dummy was re-entered with a trump to the king and dummy’s last spade was led. East was helpless this time. Another discard by him and South would ruff with his remaining low trump for his twelfth trick. East ruffed instead, and South shed his last diamond, claiming the balance. Well done!

Note that the contract would have been defeated had South started trumps by leading dummy’s king. He needed that card in dummy as a late entry for his plan to work.

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