BRIDGE

BRIDGE

Neither vulnerable, South deals

NORTH

xK Q 10 8 6 3

uQ 9 4

vA J 9

w9

WEST EAST

xA 7 5 2 x9 4

uJ 8 5 uA 7 6 3

v10 3 2 vK 7 6 5

wQ 8 7 wK 3 2

SOUTH

xJ

uK 10 2

vQ 8 4

wA J 10 6 5 4

The bidding:

SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST

1w Pass 1x Pass

2w Pass 3x Pass

3NT All pass

Opening lead: Five of u

Modern duplicate players would treat North’s three-spade bid as only invitational, but most rubber bridge players would treat it as forcing.

The opening heart lead went to East’s six and declarer’s 10. South led the jack of spades, ducked by West. South would have done better on this deal by overtaking the jack in dummy and forcing out the ace. The fall of the nine from East would make nine tricks easy. South didn’t know that and his jack held the trick. He led a diamond to dummy’s jack, losing to East’s king. East returned a diamond to the eight, ten, and ace.

South led dummy’s king of spades and had to find a discard. Should he shed a club, West would win his ace of spades and lead a diamond. South would be in his hand with no entry to dummy. He would end up having to play clubs from his hand and surely lose at least five tricks. Declarer found a brilliant solution to his problem -- he discarded his queen of diamonds!

West won with his ace but was now in trouble. A diamond lead and dummy’s nine would be an instant entry for the spades. A heart lead would also give an entry as long as South played the nine from dummy, as South would unblock his king if East played the ace. West took his only shot by leading a low club. South captured East’s king with the ace and led the jack of clubs. West had to give either declarer or dummy an entry -- nine tricks either way. Well done!

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