Bridge

CONTINUING WITH hands from the last Generali European Bridge Championships, this Open Teams round eight match was played on Vue-Graph, featuring Poland - always medal contenders - then lying seventh, against Lebanon, perhaps surprisingly in fifth position at that stage.

The bidding by East-West started in identical manner in both rooms: 21 - 41; 23 - !3; Three No-trumps. That's where the Lebanese auction stopped, but the Poles continued Four No-trumps - 26. Against East's small slam South led a top diamond.

Six Clubs is easily made by taking the club finesse, but Piotr Tuszynski felt that there were better odds available. A simple finesse has a 50 per cent chance of success. With a suit missing five cards, nearly 68 per cent of the time these will break 3-2. And the outstanding seven cards in a suit break 4-3 some 62 per cent of the time.

Tuszynski played according to these odds. He won the opening lead in hand with #A, then cashed his 4A and 4K. The clubs obliged by breaking 3-2, although the queen failed to drop. Then he played dummy's 4A and 4K and ruffed a spade. Re-entering dummy with a heart he ruffed another spade, this suit also behaving in accordance with the odds and breaking 4-3. Now he was able to enter dummy with another heart and play his established fifth spade, on which he threw his last diamond. Even if North had held only three spades and ruffed the fourth spade with his master trump, declarer simply discards his losing diamond.

Love all; dealer East

North

4Q 7 5 2

!10 8

#J 7 5 2

2Q 9 5

West East

4A K 10 9 3 48

!K Q 4 !A 7 3

#10 9 6 #A 8 3

26 2 2A K J 10 7 4

South

4J 6 4

!J 9 6 5 2

#K Q 4

28 3