Bridge

Attendance at the ACBL Spring Championships in Kansas City in March was one of the lowest ever. Playing conditions and amenities were excellent, but rooms at the host hotel sold out early, and the cost of attending a “Nationals,” especially the rising entry fees, deterred many rank-and-file players.

Today’s beautiful deal arose in a match in the Vanderbilt Teams. Playing five diamonds, Geir Helgemo of Norway, one of the world’s great players, ruffed the spade opening lead, led a heart to dummy, ruffed the last spade and took the A-K of hearts. When East-West followed suit, declarer led a club to dummy’s ace and returned a trump.

East won and was end-played. A club lead from the queen would have cost, and a spade fared no better. Helgemo pitched a club, ruffed in dummy and led the king of clubs.

West refused to ruff, but then Helgemo threw him in with a trump. West had to lead a heart or a spade, and South ruffed in dummy and discarded his last club. Well done!