BRIDGE

BRIDGE

Both vulnerable, West deals

NORTH

xK Q 10 5

uK J 3

vA 6 4

w10 8 3

WEST EAST

xJ 9 7 x8 6 4 2

u10 u8 6 5 4 2

vK Q 8 5 3 v9

wA Q 7 4 wK 6 2

SOUTH

xA 3

uA Q 9 7

vJ 10 7 2

wJ 9 5

The bidding:

WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH

1v Dbl Pass 4u

All pass

Opening lead: King of v

Responses to a takeout double are pretty straightforward, but many players have trouble with them. The idea is to bid your best suit with 0-8 points, jump in your best suit with 9-11, or jump to game with 12-plus points if you’re sure of the contract that you want to play. When you’re not sure, a simple cue bid of the opponent’s suit sets a game force and gives you time to discover your best contract. A two diamond bid by South, rather than four hearts, would have resulted in a three no trump contract that your Aunt Matilda would have made. Four hearts was a serious challenge.

South won the opening diamond lead with dummy’s ace and cashed the king of hearts. The fall of the 10 from West was ominous, so South started cashing spades. The fall of the jack of spades allowed declarer to discard two clubs from his hand. A low diamond from dummy saw East discard the six of clubs as South’s jack went to West’s queen.

It was crucial for the defense to play a trump, so West bravely under-led his clubs to East’s king. South won the ensuing heart shift in his hand and led a low diamond, hoping to ruff the 10 of diamonds high in dummy later. East ruffed his partner’s diamond winner in order to lead another trump, but South could now draw the trumps and cash the 10 of diamonds for his tenth trick. Nicely played!

The defense could have prevailed, but not easily. We’ll leave it to interested readers to work out the winning defense. Hint -- trick seven.

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