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