BRIDGE
BRIDGE
North-South vulnerable, South deals
NORTH
xA 2
u10 9 4 3
vJ 8 2
wA 7 6 5
WEST EAST
xQ J 9 4 3 x8 6
u5 uK Q J 8 7
v9 7 3 vK 10 5 4
wK 8 4 3 w10 2
SOUTH
xK 10 7 5
uA 6 2
vA Q 6
wQ J 9
The bidding:
SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST
1NT Pass 2w 2u
2x Pass 3NT All pass
Opening lead: Five of u
A good player in need of an extra trick will keep plugging to the endgame, hoping to find a nice surprise. Watch French great Henri Swarc, South in today’s deal, do just that.
Swarc played dummy’s 10 on the opening heart lead and captured East’s jack with the ace. The queen of clubs was covered by the king and won in dummy with the ace. Another club was led from dummy, picking up the 10 from East, and South cashed his two club tricks. Swarc led a spade to dummy’s ace and exited with dummy’s last club to West while discarding a heart from his hand. West shifted to the queen of spades, ducked by South, and then switched to a low diamond. Swarc played low from dummy and won East’s 10 with his queen. Swarc cashed the king of spades leaving this position:
NORTH
xVoid
u9 4
vJ 8
wVoid
WEST EAST
xJ 9 xVoid
uVoid uK Q
v9 7 vK 5
wVoid wVoid
SOUTH
x10
u6
vA 6
wVoid
Swarc exited with a heart to East, who had to lead a diamond away from his king after cashing his last heart. Swarc could also have exited with the 10 of spades to West. We’ll leave it to interested readers to work out that position.
Tribune Content Agency