BRIDGE

BRIDGE

Neither vulnerable, South deals

NORTH

xJ 9 4 2

u10 6

vK 2

wA J 10 6 2

WEST EAST

xA K 10 8 6 xQ 7 5 3

uA Q 8 2 u9 7 4 3

vA Q 6 3 v10 8 7

wVoid w5 4

SOUTH

xVoid

uK J 5

vJ 9 5 4

wK Q 9 8 7 3

The bidding:

SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST

1w Dbl 2NT- Pass

5w Dbl All pass

-Club fit, at least invitational values

Opening lead: Ace of x

North-South were using the ”Jordan Two No Trump” convention -- a routine convention in tournament play these days. Inspired play might bring home a four-spade contract for East-West. We’ll leave it to interested readers to work out the play. Our problem is five clubs.

South ruffed the opening spade lead and immediately led a low diamond toward the king. West stepped up with his ace of diamonds and led the king of spades, ruffed by South. Declarer led a club to dummy’s ace, cashed the king of diamonds, and then crossed back to his hand with the king of clubs. This drew the outstanding trumps and left South to guess the diamond position. Did East start with three diamonds to the queen or three diamonds to the 10? South made no mistake, leading the jack of diamonds. West covered, dummy ruffed, and the fall of the 10 from East made South a happy man. He ruffed a spade back to his hand and discarded a heart from dummy on his established nine of diamonds. Well played!

The defense could have done better. Can you spot how? West should have ducked his ace on the first round of diamonds. Declarer would not be able to establish a diamond winner for a heart discard. The defense would probably have to set up dummy’s jack of spades, enabling a heart discard in the South hand, but that would not help South.

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