BRIDGE

Different lines

Andrew Robson

HOW to play a 4 contract on this week's deal depends entirely on your trick target. Juliet Milliken reached the sound contract of 44 and played the hand as safely as pos- sible to ensure ten tricks. Spirited bidding saw Olivia Band reach 64. Needing a large slice of good fortune to succeed, she worked out the division of the opposing cards she required and played brilliantly to exploit the favourable lie. Here is the deal: Dealer North Neither side vulnerable 4 A 6 11, .1 5

• A 9 4 2 + A K 5 3 2 4 5 2 ♦ K 8 6

4Q 108 rQ 107

4

N

• K Q 10 7 3 W E • 8 6 5

*Q 109

+8 6 4

4

K J 9 7 4 3

• A 9 3 2

• J•

41J 7 South West North

East 1+ pass 14 2• pass pass 24 pass 44 pass pass pass West led •K against Juliet's 44 and she won •A and immediately trumped a At trick three she led 11,2 and West won IFIC and correctly switched to 42. Playing 46 from dummy and winning East's 40 with 4K, she crossed to 4K and trumped a third She cashed VA and trumped a third V with 4A. She trumped dummy's last •, crossed to 4A and trumped a third 4 with 49. She cashed 4J and conceded the last trick —11,9 — to the opponents. Eleven almost risk-free tricks. Olivia's 64 needed trumps to split 3-2 with East hold- ing 4Q and also 4s to split 3-3. Olivia won West's •K with •A, cashed 4A, played 46 to 4J and drew East's 40 with 4K. She then ducked a 4 completely. West won and tried to cash •Q. Olivia trumped, led her remaining to dummy's 4K; she cashed 4A felling the two outstanding +s and played dummy's two long +s, discard- ing two more Vs. Six 4s, four +s and two aces added up to 12 tricks. Had anything gone wrong with Olivia's line, even ten tricks were in jeopardy. Hence both declar- ers had played the hand correctly, though they had taken completely different lines.