ETCETERA / Bridge
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Your support makes all the difference.THERE were some interesting points on this recent deal from pairs play. North-South could have got rich comfortably by defending, but decided instead to go on to a vulnerable game. It looked as though it would be an expensive misjudgement, but declarer recovered well in the play.
North-South game; dealer West
North
A J 7 5
A K 10 7
10 5 2
9 2
West
Q 10 9 8 6 3 2
J 9 5 4
none
A K
East
K
8 2
J 9 7 4
Q J 10 7 6 4
South
4
Q 6 3
A K Q 8 6 3
8 5 3
West opened One Spade and East responded Three Clubs (explained as weak). South overcalled with Three Diamonds, West rebid his spades and North doubled. Both South and West interpreted this as some modern competitive gadget, for South repeated his diamonds and West contested with Five Clubs.
A double and a trump lead would have ensured a handsome penalty, but North bid Five Diamonds and all passed. West cashed his two top clubs and switched to the ten of spades. After winning in dummy, a trump to declarer's ace revealed the bad break. Two entries to dummy, both of its remaining trumps were required to pick up East's trumps, and something had to be done about the losing club.
South found a neat way out of his difficulties. He led a low heart and, when West played low, finessed the ten. Then came the ten of trumps to the jack and king, dummy was re-entered with a top heart, and East's remaining trumps were drawn.
The third club was still unaccounted for, but when South led off his remaining trumps, West was squeezed in spades and hearts.
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