BRIDGE

BRIDGE

Neither vulnerable, South deals

NORTH

xQ 9 3

uK J 6 4 3

v7

wK 10 9 8

WEST EAST

x10 4 xK J 8 5

uA 10 8 u9 5

vK Q 10 5 4 2 v9 6 3

wJ 4 wQ 7 3 2

SOUTH

xA 7 6 2

uQ 7 2

vA J 8

wA 6 5

The bidding:

SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST

1NT 2v 3u Pass

3NT All pass

Opening lead: King of v

South might have bid four hearts, instead, but he liked his diamond holding and his flat distribution for play in no trump, so he chose that strain despite the eight-card heart fit.

South ducked the opening king of diamonds lead, hoping for a continuation. East’s discouraging three meant that West would have to shift, but to what? A spade would have been more effective, but West decided to play his partner for the queen of hearts. Should he get his partner on lead for a diamond return, the contract would almost certainly be defeated. West shifted to the 10 of hearts, but South rose with dummy’s king and led a low heart to his queen.

West won with his ace and now shifted to the 10 of spades. This was covered by dummy’s queen and East’s king, and declarer made a nice play by allowing East to hold the trick. East, of course, reverted to diamonds. South played the jack, losing to the queen, and West led another spade -- low from dummy, eight, ace. Declarer had lost four tricks and couldn’t afford to duck anything else.

Dummy had shed a club on the jack of diamonds, and now shed another club when South cashed the ace of diamonds. When South now led a heart to dummy and cashed two more hearts, discarding two spades from hand, East could not defend the position. In order to keep a high spade, he had to discard two clubs. The king, ace, and six of clubs took the last three tricks. Nicely played!

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