THE DISAPPEARING TRICK

AFTER a long time, my friend from the 21^st Floor sent me this interesting hand. Just the right thing on a rainy day.

West’s pass of two spades must be regarded as much too conservative. He should have bid three diamonds instead. This might have elicited a further bid from East and led to a contract of five hearts which goes down only one.

As the bidding west, though, South was allowed to play in four spades and made the contract by careful play. West stared with A-K of diamonds, declarer ruffing the King.

South’s problem was to avoid losing three club tricks. Had he relied solely on East having the ace, he would have finished down one. But instead he placed his hopes on an end play that was practically sure to succeed.

After leading a trump to the ace and ruffing the last diamond, South again crossed to dummy with a trump and played a heart, finessing the 10 after East followed low. This unusual play rendered the defense helpless.

West won with the Queen, but could score only one more trick for his side. Whether he returned a heart, a diamond or a club. Whatever he hid South was bound to wind up with 10 tricks

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TRUMPS IN DEFENCE

NORTH opening 2♠ showed a hand of limited strength, containing spades and an unspecified minor. South’s response of 4♣ indicated that he was willing to play at the four level in partner’s minor suit. East-West could make at least 11 tricks or more in heart, as you see, but West understandably devalued his King of Spades.

There is only one lead that defiantly beats the club game- a trump! West could expect South to be short in spades and should probably have diagnosed that a trump lead was best. He actually led the King of hearts, ruffed in the dummy. Hoping to set up a crossruff, South now called for a low spade. East was in a difficult situation. To beat the contract, he needed to play the six. West could then win the trick and play a (somewhat belated) trump. However, if declarer had the bare spade King and West held the Ace of diamonds, it would be essential to rise with the Ace of spades and switch to diamonds. East rose with the spade Ace (It’s hard to blame him) switched to the Queen of diamonds.

South was hoping to take four spade ruffs in his hand. Since heart ruffs in the dummy would give him only three entries for this, he would need a diamond ruff entry too. He therefore ducked the Queen of diamonds. If East’s diamonds were headed by the Queen-Jack, and West overtook with the King to play a trump, declarer’s ♦A 10 would then be worth two tricks

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LIVE OR DIE

THERE is an exodus to Delhi today by all aspiring bridge champions to take part in Hindustan Computer Limited (HCL) 17^th International Bridge Championship. There is a very handsome prize money too. Where the Sharpest minds partner to conquer.

After West has lead ♥K and East has signaled with ♥2, South must consider the deal as a whole. What will South do if West switches to a spade at trick two? Then he will live or die by the diamond finesse.

South should win the first trick and immediately take the diamond finesse. If it loses, he might get lucky and find that the hearts are breaking 4-4.

Don’t break someone’s heart, they have only one.

Break their bones, they have 206 of them.

Blog          : http://www.hemadeora.blogspot.in

Twitter ID  : @HemaDeora