BRIDGE
Small is best
Andrew Robson
WHAT finer place to play bridge than in a chalet overlooking Meribel's moonlit pistes? Actually, I was watching a game between Edward and Lulu Hutley and Nick and Lucy Morris. After Lulu had tabled her dummy to 44 doubled, I asked Edward which was his most important card. He unhesitatingly pointed to the 42 and then proceeded to prove it.
Dealer East East-West vulnerable 4A KQJ 2 Q 109 2 • 7 4 3 • 5 The Bidding South West North East 1* 14 211 34 4, 44 double pass pass pass West, Nick, led 4A and continued with *J. East, Lucy, overtook with •ira to return her singleton trump. Edward won 43 with 41, led 45 to 4A and trumped a with +Q. He led 41C, East discarding, then trumped a IP in dummy and led a third 4, trumping East's 4K with 4A. He led his carefully preserved 42 to dummy's 410, drawing West's 49. Dummy's es were all established so Edward claimed the remainder to notch up an overtrick.
It appears that Lucy would have done better to return 4K at trick three to force dummy to trump. And it is quite true that declarer would then be one entry short to establish dummy's 4s. However he could still have succeeded by cross-trumping all his nine trumps. 4A would bring his total to ten.
Though Lucy's 43 lead effectively cost the doubled overtrick, it was the correct play. If Nick had held Cam, 43 switch would have defeated the contract whereas • K continuation would have created a fas- cinating end-position from which declarer can always succeed. 49 6 5 A J 8 5 3 • A J 5 4J2 4 10 8 7 4 — • 108 • A 108 7 6 4 3 43 K7 64 • K Q 9 6 2 K Q 9 W E
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