BRIDGE

Ups and downs

Andrew Robson

BRIDGE is a game of fluctuating emo- tions. West's ecstasy at defending 5♦ dou- bled after his partner had opened the bidding quickly turned into severe depres- sion during the play. Indeed only a small slip by declarer after the hard work had been done prevented him from actually making his bold bid.

Dealer East East-West vulnerable 4 A K .1 9

• 10 9 8 5

♦ 2

+J 7 6 4

4 Q 10 7 4

4 5 3 2

N

1, A 6 rK Q .1 7432

♦ K 103

W E ♦ 9

• K Q 103

+A 9

48 6 • -

*A Q J 8 7 6 54 8 5 2 South West North East 11► 5♦ double pass pass pass West led •A though perhaps the sur- prise attack of K was wiser in theory as well as in actuality. Declarer trumped and played all out for his contract — at trick two he led a 4 and finessed dummy's 49! His luck was in as West held both 40 and 410. He returned to ♦A, correctly spurn- ing the finesse, and played his second 4► to *T.

He cashed 4A and 4K (East being unable to trump) and discarded two 4's. He was nearly home now and followed by trumping a second V and leading *J. West won ♦K and, with a perfect count on declarer's distribution, led a low to East's 4A. East accurately played a third V and declarer was unable to prevent West's ♦10 from scoring the setting trick. He trumped low and West overtrumped. A nerve-wracking one down from the defence's perspective.

Declarer's slip occurred when he trumped the second 11, from dummy — paving the way for the defensive trump promotion. He should have led a # instead. The defence would now be power- less. Say East wins +A and plays a second ♦ ; declarer trumps low and leads ♦J; West wins •K but cannot reach his partner's hand for the lead of the third 41,