Games: Bridge
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The two North-South pairs valued their combined assets rather differently on this deal from match play. Caution paid off, but it should not have done.
South opened One Diamond, and one North, judging that his hand was not worth a Two-over-One response, bid One Spade. This did not excite South; his rebid of Two Diamonds was passed out and he ended with 10 tricks.
At the other table, North, rather more practically, responded Two Clubs to the opening bid. This distinctly improved the South hand and, despite his shortage of points, he reversed with Two Hearts. The partnership were now in a game-forcing situation and finally ended in Five Diamonds, against which West led the king of spades.
It was a messy hand to play and South made a reasonable try when he crossed to 2A and took an immediate trump finesse. He would have ended with 12 tricks if the finesse had won and both minor suits divided 3-2. As it was, West won with #Q, gave his partner a club ruff, won the heart return, and played back a trump. Ingloriously, South ended by going five down!
Any thoughts? Try #J from hand at trick two, keeping control. Now there are 11 tricks, whenever the trumps are 3-2 and the clubs no worse than 4-1.
East-West game; dealer South
North
4J 9 7 6
!3
#6 2
2A K J 8 4 2
West East
4K Q 10 4 4A 8 5 3 2
!A J !K 9 8 7 6
#Q 9 5 #8 4
210 7 6 3 29
South
4none
!Q 10 5 4 2
#A K J 10 7 3
2Q 5
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments