Games: Bridge

North-South game; dealer South

North

48 6 4

!A J 3

#K J 8

29 6 3 2

West East

4Q 10 2 4J 9 5

!5 2 !9 7 4

#A Q 7 6 5 3 #10 9 4

27 5 2A Q J 8

South

4A K 7 3

!K Q 10 8 6

#2

2K 10 4

This proved an irritating hand for East-West. Although the play to the first trick had apparently established four tricks for them, they could never come to more than three.

South opened One Heart, West overcalled with Two Diamonds, and North raised to Two Hearts. East contested with Three Diamonds (which would have cost 500 points), but South, judging (incorrectly) that his partner's values were outside diamonds, jumped to the heart game.

West led 27 against Four Hearts and East played correctly by putting in the jack. The defenders appeared now to be within reach of two clubs, a diamond and a spade.

However, South won with 2K and drew just two rounds of trumps with the ace and king.

He followed with his singleton diamond and West won with his ace to play a second club. East won with his queen but could not now defeat the contract. If he cashed 2A, declarer would be able to enter dummy with !J and take two spade discards on 29 and #K.

Alternatively, if East switched to a spade after taking 2Q, South would win in hand, cross to dummy's !J, and discard his losing club on #K. Then he plays on spades and the 3-3 break in the suit gives him his tenth trick.