Goren on Bridge

In a recent team match, both teams reached the same contract after identical auctions.

The opening spade lead was won in dummy perforce. There were five top tricks and either minor suit might provide another four. The club play was a finesse for the king — 50 percent.

The chances in the diamond suit were much harder to figure, so the declarer at the first table took the club finesse at trick two. West won with the king and continued with the jack of spades, ducked by declarer. Declarer won the 10 of spades continuation and cashed his clubs. East defended carefully, keeping all his spades and three hearts, discarding both of his diamonds. When South finally led a diamond, West rose with his ace as East shed a heart. East overtook West’s seven of spades with the eight and cashed the long spade for down one.

The other declarer was not willing to put all of his eggs in the club basket. He led a diamond to his queen at trick two. Should East hold the ace and duck it, South would switch to clubs and make his contract even with a club loser. If nothing good happened in diamonds, South could still fall back on the club finesse later. West captured the queen of diamonds with the ace and continued spades, as at the other table. South won his king of spades and led a diamond to the king in order to take the club finesse. “Great was the fall thereon,” as Edgar Kaplan used to say. Bob Jones welcomes readers’ responses sent in care of this newspaper or to Tribune Content Agency, LLC., 16650 Westgrove Dr., Suite 175, Addison, TX 75001. Email responses may be sent to tcaeditors@tribune.com. © 2017 Tribune Content Agency, LLC.