BRIDGE

BRIDGE

North-South vulnerable, East deals

NORTH

xA 9 2

u10 7 3 2

v9 6

wA J 4 3

WEST EAST

xQ 7 6 4 3 xJ 10 5

u6 uA J 9 5

vK Q J 2 v4

w10 8 7 wK Q 9 6 5

SOUTH

xK 8

uK Q 8 4

vA 10 8 7 5 3

w2

The bidding:

EAST SOUTH WEST NORTH

1w Dbl 1x Dbl

Pass 2u Pass Pass

2x 3v Dbl 3x

Dbl All pass

Opening lead: Six of u

No good player would double this part-score contract in a team game or playing for money. This deal is from a Junior competition in Europe some years ago. We imagine that East thought he was the only player at the table who hadn’t doubled yet and he wanted to join the party.

The opening trump lead went to the seven, nine, and king. South cashed the ace of diamonds and followed with a low diamond to West as East shed a club. Declarer won the club shift with dummy’s ace and crossed to his hand with the king of spades. A diamond was ruffed with dummy’s 10 and over-ruffed with the jack, leaving this position:

NORTH

xA 9

u3 2

vVoid

wJ 4 3

WEST EAST

xQ 7 6 4 xJ 10

uVoid uA 5

vK vVoid

w10 8 wK Q 9

SOUTH

x8

uQ 8 4

v10 8 7

wVoid

East led a club in an effort to weaken declarer’s trumps, but South was in control. Declarer ruffed in his hand and ruffed another diamond in dummy. Should East choose to over-ruff, South would have established his diamonds and still hold one more trump than East. Should East discard instead, South would ruff a club, cross back to dummy with the ace of spades, and lead a black card to score his queen of trumps ”en passant.” East is off somewhere asking himself why he doubled.

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