BRIDGE

BRIDGE

North-South vulnerable, West deals

NORTH

xA J 3 2

uQ J 5

vVoid

wA K Q 5 3 2

WEST EAST

x9 7 6 x10

uK uA 8 7 4 3

vA K Q 10 9 8 3 vJ 7 5 4 2

w8 4 w10 7

SOUTH

xK Q 8 5 4

u10 9 6 2

v6

wJ 9 6

The bidding:

WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH

1v Dbl 1u 1x

2v 4v- 5v 5x

6v Pass Pass 6x

Pass Pass Dbl All pass

-Slam try in spades with shortness in diamonds

Opening lead: King of u

The Lightner Double, named after a leading bridge figure of the time, has been around for many decades. The double of a high-level contract, usually a slam, asks partner not to make the expected lead. The doubler thinks that a different lead will be more effective. This is often done with a void in order to obtain a ruff, but there are other times to use it as well.

East-West in today’s deal were Larry Cohen and David Berkowitz, one of the USA’s best partnerships. Berkowitz, East, knew that the opponents held at most two diamonds between them and a diamond void was quite possible. He doubled the final contract to try and steer his partner to a heart lead. Note that declarer would have romped home with his slam on a diamond lead.

Cohen got the message and led the king of hearts, Berkowitz’s first-bid suit. That was a good start, but it was not enough to defeat the contract. Berkowitz knew from the lead that Cohen was short in hearts, but did he have a singleton or a doubleton? After the long thought that this problem deserved, Berkowitz overtook the king of hearts with the ace and gave Cohen a heart ruff to defeat the slam. Had he not done so, the slam would have made. Well done!

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