BRIDGE

Undaunted

Andrew Robson

JUST because an opponent advertises great strength in the auction does not mean that you should maintain a disci- plined silence. Quite to the contrary, you are unlikely to buy the contract but you can disrupt their bidding and help partner find the killing opening lead.

Doubling any artificial bid shows the suit itself, thus East's double of North's 24 opener (any hand with 23 or more points) showed 4s. Against many declarers the 4 lead that now ensued would have sunk 6•. Do you number amongst them? Cover up the East-West cards and make 6♦ on 47 lead with East discarding •8 on the second round of trumps.

Dealer North 4 Q J 7 6

J 6 5 3 • 5 3 48 7 6

North-South 4 A K 3

• A 9 7 ♦ A K J 4A 102

vulnerable

2

4 9 5 4

• K 8 4 2 • 4 K Q J 4 3

N

W E

S

4 10 8 ♦ Q 10 • Q 109 8 7 6 2 49 4 South West North

24

East double 2♦ pass 2NT pass 5♦ pass pass pass 6♦ pass On any other lead declarer could have established a second V trick and discarded his losing 4. Undaunted, he won dummy's 4A and cashed •A and •K, noting East's • 8 discard. Such a high spot card shows interest in the suit discarded and is intend- ed to be helpful to partner. In this instance the discard was far more helpful to declar- er than East's partner, whose role in the hand ended after he had found the correct opening lead. Declarer rattled off all his • s and dummy's 4AK and in the three card ending held ♦Q10 and 49 in his hand; dummy held VA9 and 410 and East, forced to retain a guard for VK, held ,K4 and 4K. Can you see what declarer did?

He exited with the 4 and forced East to lead away from VK which he had so help- fully advertised. His V4 return was won by declarer's •Q and dummy's VA won the last trick.