BRIDGE

Alan Hiron
Saturday 14 September 1996 23:02 BST
Comments

"I suppose that I should have bid Four Spades but it didn't look attractive," commented East after this deal. "True, but if you had bid it immediately it would have needed an unlikely lead to beat it and, even as it went, we should have defeated Four Hearts," was his partner's peevish reply.

South opened One Club and West overcalled with One Spade. North contested with Two Clubs and, if East had raised directly to Four Spades, it would have needed a heart lead from North to defeat the contract. Instead, East decided to potter about with Two Diamonds.

This gave South the chance to introduce his hearts and, after a pass by West, North gave a sporting raise to Three. East bid Three Spades, South went on to the heart game, and East decided to double.

West led the ace of diamonds against Four Hearts doubled and, after winning the diamond continuation, East switched to a spade. Declarer then cashed both his top spades before exiting with a club. On lead, East found to his annoyance that, whatever he tried, dummy would gain an entry. Then declarer could pick up the trumps with a finesse and claim.

I expect that you would have got this right. After winning the second diamond, all East has to do is cash the ace of clubs before getting off lead with a spade. Now declarer cannot possibly get to dummy and has to concede a trump trick.

EAST-WEST GAME: Dealer South

North

] J 2

_ J 9 7 5

+ J 7

[ Q 10 9 7 3

West East

] Q 10 9 8 6 3 ] 7 5 4

_ 6 4 _ K 8 3

+ A 10 2 + K Q 9 8 5 4

[ 6 4 [ A

South

] A K

_ A Q 10 2

+ 6 3

[ K J 8 5 2

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