BRIDGE

BRIDGE

Both vulnerable, North deals

NORTH

xA Q 8 3

u10 4

vQ 7 6 5

wK J 5

WEST EAST

x7 5 4 xK 10 9 2

u8 6 uA Q J 7 5 3

vJ 10 9 3 vK

w10 9 8 4 w7 2

SOUTH

xJ 6

uK 9 2

vA 8 4 2

wA Q 6 3

The bidding:

NORTH EAST SOUTH WEST

1v 1u 2u- Pass

3v Pass 3NT All pass

-Diamond fit, invitational values or better

Opening lead: Eight of u

There is a team game held in various venues every Wednesday in South Florida. It is an invitational game and only the best local players are invited. It was started some 20 years ago by ACBL Hall of Famer Michael Becker. Today’s deal is from a recent game. North-South arrived in a normal three no trump contract with 26 combined points and all suits stopped. There were only seven tricks, however, and even a successful spade finesse would only get them to eight.

The opening heart lead went to the jack and king. Going after the diamonds was hopeless, as the defense would cash four or five heart tricks as soon as they gained the lead -- probably five, as the eight of hearts lead looked like it was from a doubleton. Declarer started by cashing his four club tricks. East followed suit twice and smoothly discarded the two and nine of spades. South decided that East was likely to have started with four spades to the king, as no good player would happily part with his spades looking at that spade suit in dummy.

East’s most likely distribution was 4-6-1-2. Accordingly, South cashed his ace of diamonds, intending to lead a heart next to endplay East. East could cash five heart tricks, but would then have to lead a spade into dummy allowing declarer to escape for down one. The fall of the king of diamonds changed everything! A diamond to the queen forced East to discard a heart. South now led dummy’s heart and East could only take four heart tricks before leading into dummy’s spades. Making three!

Was this good technique or good luck? It was a little of both, but good technique deserves some good luck, don’t you think?

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