BRIDGE TIPS

08/27/2008
Both vulnerable. North deals.

NORTH

♠Q 4 2

♥A K 8 7

♦J 10 7 6

♣K 9

WEST EAST

♠A K 10 8 ♠9 7 6

♥4 2 ♥6 5 3

♦K Q 3 ♦5 4 2

♣Q J 3 2 ♣10 8 6 5

SOUTH

♠J 5 3

♥Q J 10 9

♦A 9 8

♣A 7 4

The bidding:

NORTH EAST SOUTH WEST

1♦ Pass 1♥ Dbl

2♥ Pass 4♥ Pass

Pass Pass

Opening lead: King of ♠

There are deals where you can eliminate all the defenders' safe exit cards. But that is not always possible and you have to hope that a particular defender cannot avoid the endplay because he is out of a suit and partner holds the safe exit. This deal illustrates our theme.

With 12 points including two aces, South has just enough to proceed to game after North raises hearts.

West started with the king and ace of spades and continued with a third spade, taken in dummy. If East holds a diamond honor, the contract is safe. However, the auction suggests that West might hold both missing high diamonds. Declarer can engineer an endplay provided West started with no more than two trumps.

Declarer cashed the king and queen of trumps and king and ace of clubs and then ruffed a club in dummy. Leaving a trump outstanding, declarer now led a diamond to the eight and West's queen. Had West been able to exit with the last trump, declarer would have had to rely on a second diamond finesse. As it was, West was forced to bow the knee. He would have to lead a diamond into declarer's tenace or play a black card and yield a ruff-sluff. No matter which, declarer's remaining diamond loser would vanish. (08/27/08)

from; http://www.stltoday.com
e-mail: gorenbridge@aol.com