BRIDGE

BRIDGE

Neither vulnerable, North deals

NORTH

xK 8 3

uK 10 8 3

vK Q 8 5

w9 4

WEST EAST

xA 10 5 2 xQ J 7 4

uJ 6 5 4 u9

vJ 9 7 vA 10 6 4 3

wQ 10 wK 7 5

SOUTH

x9 6

uA Q 7 2

v2

wA J 8 6 3 2

The bidding:

NORTH EAST SOUTH WEST

1v Pass 1u Pass

2u Pass 4u All pass

Opening lead: Seven of v

Today’s deal is from a match played in Europe recently. Many Americans would question the light opening bid by North and the response from South in the four-card suit rather than the six-card suit. Europeans bid differently than Americans, with many variations throughout the continent, and North-South reached a reasonable contract.

The opening diamond lead went to the king and ace. South shed a spade on the diamond continuation to the board’s queen. The nine of clubs was passed to West’s 10, and West cashed the ace of spades before reverting to diamonds, forcing declarer to ruff. South cashed the ace of hearts, noting the fall of the nine from East. Was that a singleton, or from jack-nine doubleton? Maybe it was a falsecard?

South cashed the ace of clubs and ruffed a club with dummy’s eight as West discarded a spade. Had the trumps been divided 3-2, declarer could now simply draw the trumps and claim with his established club tricks. Decision time! South decided that East’s nine of hearts was a singleton, so he cashed the king of spades and ruffed a spade with the seven of hearts. He then ruffed a club with dummy’s 10 of hearts while holding his breath. That survived, and there was now a high cross-ruff for the last two tricks. Well played!

We would again like to thank the Bulletin of the International Bridge Press Association, and Tim Bourke of Australia in particular, as the source for many of the deals seen in this space.

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