BRIDGE

BRIDGE

Neither vulnerable, West deals

NORTH

x8 7 5 3

u7 4

vJ 7

wA Q J 10 3

WEST EAST

xQ J 10 6 4 2 x9

uQ 9 uJ 10 6 5 2

v4 vK Q 10 9 5

wK 9 8 2 w7 6

SOUTH

xA K

uA K 8 3

vA 8 6 3 2

w5 4

The bidding:

WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH

2x Pass Pass Dbl

Pass 3w Pass 3NT

All pass

Opening lead: Queen of x

There were no guarantees attached to South’s three no trump bid, but it was a reasonable gamble. The whole idea of pre-emption is to give your opponents problems like this. They won’t get them all right.

South won the opening spade lead in hand with the king and immediately led a low club to dummy’s queen. This won the trick, but East was perfectly capable of ducking the king, if he held it. South couldn’t afford to worry about that, since nine tricks weren’t available unless West held the club king.

There would be no problem as long as West started with two or three clubs, as another finesse would bring in the suit. South took precautions against the possibility that West started with four clubs. He cashed the ace and king of hearts and the ace of diamonds, West following to all three. West was known to have started with six spades for his bid, so if he also started with four clubs, he would now be out of red-suit cards. Declarer led a club to the jack and cashed the ace of clubs. When East discarded on this trick, South knew that West had indeed started with four clubs.

Did South give up? Not at all. He brilliantly discarded his ace of spades on the ace of clubs! West was then put on play with the king of clubs. West, down to nothing but spades, could cash two high ones, but dummy’s eight of spades became an entry to the long club. There was still a diamond to lose, but South had his nine tricks. Well done!

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