Pastimes

Bridge

Love all; dealer North

North

4K Q 8 4 3

!A K 4 2

#A Q

210 3

West East

49 7 6 4A J 10

!10 9 8 7 !Q J 6 3

#9 6 2 #10 7 5 3

29 8 7 2Q J

South

45 2

!5

#K J 8 4

2A K 6 5 4 2

It seemed impossible for South to avoid two losers in his contract of 62 on this deal but, having escaped a trump lead, declarer demonstrated that there was a distribution that would enable him to get home without any misdefence. Cover up the East-West cards and see if you can spot the solution.

North opened 14, South responded 22 and North, forced wildly with 3!. South bid 4# (there was a case for 3NT) and North's next bid of 4NT, intended as natural, was taken as Blackwood and led to the unsound contract of 62.

West led !10 and in the play that followed South more than made up for his bidding limitations. After winning in dummy he ruffed a heart in hand. Hoping to sneak a spade through, he led low to the king but East took his ace.

It looked all over. How could a trump loser be avoided? But declarer won the diamond switch on the table, ruffed a heart in hand, and crossed to 4Q. A spade ruff followed, then a diamond to the ace allowed South to score his last low trump by ruffing dummy's !A. With the lead in hand, he cashed #K successfully and now, when he led #J, West was reduced to ruffing low. Dummy was able to over-trump with the 210 and declarer had the last two tricks with his top trumps.