Is The Contract Dead Or Alive?

Leonard Louis Levinson wrote: “He’s a fine friend. He stabs you in the front.” Some bridge opponents are like that. They give you just the help you need to bring home a contract that

otherwise would have died. In today’s deal, this assistance comes in the form of an ill-advised penalty double.

Against four spades doubled, West starts with two top clubs, East playing high-low to encourage. After South ruffs the second round, how should he continue?

North did well to rebid two spades. Perhaps South should have rebid three diamonds or four spades.

Without West’s revealing double, declarer would have led a trump at trick three, happy to concede one trick in each suit except hearts. But if the double was to be believed, the trumps were breaking 5-0. Then, if South led

a spade immediately, West could win with the ace and force declarer again with another club, promoting a second trump trick for himself.

Similarly, declarer couldn’t afford to play three top diamonds. If West could ruff, he would exit with the ace and another spade, leaving South with a losing diamond in his hand.

How could declarer collect three diamond tricks and stop West from scoring a second trump trick?

He could prevail by making the third diamond trick a ruff in the dummy. South cashed his top hearts and diamond ace, played

Win at Bridge Phillip

Alder a diamond to the king and ducked a diamond.

Whatever East led now, declarer could ruff the diamond queen in the dummy for his 10th trick. He lost only one spade, one diamond and one

club.