North’s heart exit sinks contract
NB 1S 3D NB NB NB 1D 2H 5D NB NB All Pass
Today’s deal comes from a recent teams’ night at the Otago Bridge Club.
There’s a lot to be said for putting a spade in with the king of clubs and opening two no trump to show a balanced 2022point hand.
Our pair’s bidding denied East the room to look for three no trump by asking for a club stopper with a fourthsuit force. And since a club lead was now marked, East now lacked the courage to unilaterally bid the notrump game. What would you have done? Once East saw dummy, she regretted her timidity and wasn’t confident of being able to collect 11 tricks.
South led the fourthhighest club, which North won, noting (how could he miss) the fall of the king.
Now North had to decide on a continuation. He still had faint hopes of scoring his queen of diamonds, so a trump was out of the question. A spade could be costly if East held the ace, queen and small. A club seemed harmless since declarer was surely going to ruff.
Not this declarer. She had already decided to pitch a spade if a club was returned. South would win with the Queen but now dummy’s jack of clubs was set up for another spade discard.
West’s intended line of a loseronloser play would have succeeded.
Fortunately North came to his senses and exited with a heart.
West now needed the spade honours to be favourably distributed to avoid two losers in the suit and make her contract. They were not, so that was that.