BRIDGE

BRIDGE

East-West vulnerable, North deals

NORTH

xK 6 2

uQ 8 2

vJ 9 5

wA Q 9 3

WEST EAST

xJ 5 x10 9 8 7 4 3

uA K 9 4 u10 6 5

vA 8 4 3 v2

w8 7 5 wK 10 2

SOUTH

xA Q

uJ 7 3

vK Q 10 7 6

wJ 6 4

The bidding:

NORTH EAST SOUTH WEST

1w Pass 3NT All pass

Opening lead: Four of u

Study today’s deal and decide: Would you like to play or defend three no trump on a heart lead? There seem to be nine easy tricks, with four diamonds, three spades, one heart and one club, but good defense can make it very hard to take them.

South won the opening heart lead in his hand and led a low diamond to dummy’s jack and another diamond to his king, West ducking both. Should declarer unblock his high spades before knocking out the ace of diamonds, he would have no entry back to the long diamonds. He chose to lead a third diamond right away. West hopped up with his ace and cashed three heart tricks before shifting to a club. Declarer took the club finesse and was down one when that lost.

Did you choose to defend? South could have made his contract at the point where West led a club by rising with dummy’s ace, crossing to his hand with the ace of spades, and cashing his long diamonds while discarding dummy’s two remaining clubs. The resulting two-card ending would see East unable to defend the position. East would not be able to keep two spades and the king of clubs. Should he discard a spade? South could overtake his queen of spades with the king and the six of spades would be the ninth trick.

Despite that, it was right to defend. West could have defeated the contract by shifting to a club before cashing the last two hearts. When East eventually gained the lead with the king of clubs, he would have a heart left to lead to West, who could then cash his heart tricks.

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