BRIDGE
Spring in the air
Andrew Robson
SOME bridge hands require methodical grafting. In others, a creative leap of the mind is needed. This week's hand falls into the latter category. Cover up the East-West hands and test your creativity.
Dealer South North-South vulnerable The Bidding South West North East 111 pass 2V 24 2NT pass 4V pass pass pass West led 48 in response to his partner's bid and declarer won East's queen with his ace. Seeing two ♦ losers and at least one 4 loser, it appeared that his contract depended on 4A sitting under the king a fair chance as East was the bidder. Declarer crossed to dummy's A and led a low 4. East thoughtfully played 4J and declarer's king was beaten by West's ace. West returned a low 4 to East's nine and East shifted to •J. Squirm as he might, declarer was forced to lose two ♦ tricks and went one down. Can you spot the error of South's ways?
Declarer should draw three rounds of trumps finishing in hand, and lead 4J, dis- carding a ♦ from dummy. East wins 4K and switches to 4J, but declarer wins ♦A, cashes 410 discarding dummy's last ♦ and cashes the master 47, discarding a 4. He ruffs a ♦ and leads a to his king. This loses to West's king and a second 4 has to be lost, but declarer can cross-trump the last three tricks. By swapping two ♦ losers for a 4 loser, declarer has secured his contract.
East's 24 bid had backfired — left to his Own devices West would have chosen ♦K as his opening lead, leaving declarer with no chance to make the contract.
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