BRIDGE
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Your support makes all the difference.PLAYING an aggressive game, East-West doubled South in Two Hearts on this deal. The cards lay badly for declarer and the contract was always destined to fail, but he made an instructive error and lost 300 points instead of only 100.
West passed, North opened One Club, South responded One Heart and, after another pass by West, North raised to Two Hearts. When this came round to West, he re-opened with a double and - living dangerously - East passed for penalties.
West led the ace of spades and East signalled with the ten. Rather than give his partner an immediate ruff, West made the switch to the queen of diamonds. This went to the king and ace, and East returned his remaining spade. Next came a spade ruff and the West hand was re-entered with the jack of diamonds for a fourth round of spades. East scored with his seven of trumps and he still had the ace of hearts to come for a two-trick defeat.
It looked natural to cover the queen of diamonds with the king, but note the effect of allowing the queen to win. The defenders can take their ace and one spade ruff but West cannot gain the lead again for the punishing fourth round of spades. And if West cannot gain the lead again for the punishing fourth round of spades. And if West had been trying a cunning underlead of the ace of diamonds at trick 2? Well, then he would have opened the bidding.
Love all: dealer West
North
] Q 3 2
_ 6 5 4 3
+ K 9
[ A K Q 7
West East
] A K 7 6 ] 10 4
_ 8 _ A J 7 2
+ Q J 4 3 + A 8 7 6
[ 10 9 5 2 [ 8 6 3
South
] J 9 8 5
_ K Q 10 9
+ 10 5 2
[ J 4
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