Thursday, August 17, 2017
BRIDGE
North-South vulnerable, South deals
NORTH
xJ 10 9
uJ 10 6 4
v6
wA J 10 8 3
WEST EAST
x6 3 2 xA K Q 8 7 5 4
uK Q 9 3 u8 7
vQ 5 vJ
w7 5 4 2 wQ 9 6
SOUTH
xVoid
uA 5 2
vA K 10 9 8 7 4 3 2
wK
The bidding:
SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST
1v Pass 1u 4x
4NT Pass 5v Pass
6v All pass
Opening lead: Two of x
Roy Welland is an American expert who relocated to Europe a few years ago and now represents Germany in international play. He was South, in today’s deal. Welland was no doubt hoping for a better heart holding in dummy when he drove to slam. He would have to make do with what he got.
Welland ruffed the opening spade lead and cashed six more rounds of trumps. He saw West discard three small clubs and a heart while East shed one heart and four low spades. Welland had a pretty good picture of the hand as he reached this position:
NORTH
xJ
uJ 10 6
vVoid
wA J
WEST EAST
x6 3 xA K
uK Q 9 u8
vVoid vVoid
w7 wQ 9 6
SOUTH
xVoid
uA 5 2
v4 3
wK
On the next trump, all three other hands discarded clubs. Welland led the king of clubs to dummy’s ace, and West was forced to discard a spade. A heart discard, instead, would have allowed Welland to set up a heart trick. Reading the position perfectly, Welland ruffed dummy’s last spade with his last trump, reducing West to three hearts. Welland exited beautifully with a low heart. West won with his queen, but had to lead a heart at trick 12 to give declarer his slam. A beauty!
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