Daily Bridge Club

Par results

“Did you know that Santa Claus took up golf?” Cy the Cynic asked me in the club lounge.

“I doubt there is a golf course near the North Pole,” I said mildly, “unless it’s the Snowdrift Country Club.”

“I heard he made a birdie,” Cy said.

“Really?”

“It was a partridge on a par three,” Cy chortled.

The “par” result on a deal obtains when both sides bid and play perfectly. So, if North-South can make four spades, vulnerable, for plus 620, and East-West sacrifice at five clubs, not vulnerable for down three and minus 500, the par result is achieved.

In today’s deal, South landed at three spades, and the defense led two rounds of hearts. Declarer ruffed and led a trump to dummy’s king and another trump. West took the ace and forced South to ruff another heart. Then East had more trumps left than declarer, who won only four trump tricks, two diamonds and two clubs.

South was minus 100. He could have been plus 50 defending against three hearts or plus 100 against three hearts doubled. What was the “par” result?

South can make three spades for plus 140. After he ruffs the second heart, he takes the ace of diamonds and A-K of clubs and leads a low club. West wins but can’t beat the contract. If he leads another heart, South ruffs and ruffs his queen of clubs in dummy for a ninth trick. If West leads his low trump, South wins and ruffs his queen of clubs in dummy. And if instead West leads the ace and a second trump to stop the club ruff, South can draw trumps and score his queen of clubs.

South dealer

N-S vulnerable