BRIDGE
Second success
Andrew Robson
TWO years ago Britain set up a Premier Bridge League, giving top players a chance to play regularly against one another. Played in a friendly but competitive spirit, it has been a great success, so much so that a Second Division has also been created. Several Premier League experts went down in the following Grand Slam by play- ing too hurriedly to the second trick. Can you do better?
Dealer South North-South vulnerable + A K J 6 VAKJ 108 3 • J J 9 4 10 8 ▪ Q 9 765
• K 7 2 • K 7 3
N
W E S
4 Q 9 7 111 — • A 9 5 3 + A 5 2 44 11 4 2 • Q 108 6 4 Q 108 6 4 5 3 2 South West 14 pass North 3V 34 pass 4NT 5V pass 74 pass pass East aaassspass pass West led a trump — the traditional lead against a Grand Slam on grounds of safety and declarer won dummy's ace. How to continue? If you played a .second amyl), then you have gone down, as you now lack the entries to establish dummy's Vs. Cor- rect technique at trick two is to ruff a low V with 4Q, cross back to a trump and cash VA and VK, discarding two +s from hand and observing East discard on the third V. Ruff a fourth V, cash •A and ruff a ruff a fifth V, ruff a third • with dummy's last trump and cash the established sixth V, discarding the remaining • loser from hand. Thirteen tricks are made by way of six 4s in hand, two ruffs in dummy, VA, VK and the sixth V, and the two minor suit aces.
An alternative line of trumping three •s in dummy would also succeed, but it is vastly inferior. Apart from the risk of an overruff in Vs or •s, such a line requires cashing dummy's ace and king of Vs with the remaining trump still out. Yet if Vs divide 5-2 or better, then the contract Is guaranteed by the recommended line of establishing a length winner in Vs.
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