BRIDGE

BRIDGE

Both vulnerable, North deals

NORTH

xA 10 7 5 3

uA J 9 3

v2

wQ 8 4

WEST EAST

xJ 6 4 xK Q 8 2

uK 5 4 u8 7 2

vK Q 6 vJ 9 5 4 3

wA J 10 9 w5

SOUTH

x9

uQ 10 6

vA 10 8 7

wK 7 6 3 2

The bidding:

NORTH EAST SOUTH WEST

1x Pass 2w Pass

2u Pass 2NT Pass

3w Pass 5w All pass

Opening lead: King of v

The rubber bridge session was running well into the dinner hour and South was on his third martini, perhaps explaining his aggressive bidding on this deal. We can call it aggressive if he makes his contract, or just a silly overbid if he doesn’t.

South won the opening diamond lead with the ace and led the queen of hearts, covered by the king and won with dummy’s ace. The ace of spades was followed by a spade ruff, and then a diamond ruff on the table. A heart was led back to the 10 and another diamond was ruffed. Declarer held his breath and tried the jack of hearts. It lived! South ruffed a spade back to his hand leaving this position:

NORTH

x10 7

u9

vVoid

wQ

WEST EAST

xVoid xK

uVoid uVoid

vVoid vJ 9

wA J 10 9 w5

SOUTH

xVoid

uVoid

v10

wK 7 6

South led his last diamond. West could not gain by ruffing high, so he ruffed low, over-ruffed with dummy’s queen. A spade was ruffed by South and over-ruffed, but West was forced to give declarer the king of trumps. Nice aggressive bidding! West is still wondering what happened to his third trump trick.

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