NEWBRIDGE C ANADIAN

Thursday, January 7, 2021

South captured the queen of clubs with the ace, overtook the king of spades with the ace and played a heart to the queen. The deuce of spades was continued to the jack and another heart was led to the jack. When the ace of hearts drew trump, declarer could claim eleven tricks conceding the king of clubs and a diamond.

The club lead had assisted declarer in corralling eleven tricks because there are insufficient dummy entries to finesse twice in hearts and play a club. South will be restricted to ten tricks when West begins with a spade or a diamond. South was confronted with a problem when partner rebid two hearts. 1NT was forcing but the major suit preference revealed that North held a doubleton heart or owned three-card support with a weak hand.

South declined to continue in the auction in spite of owning a solid 16 HCP to settle for a plus score.

A NT contract would likely yield nine tricks on this layout when East begins with a spade. North would bring home the heart suit via two finesses but East would surely switch to a diamond after winning a club trick.

Author: Dave Willis - visit his website at www.insidebridge.ca Questions on bridge can be sent with a stamped, self-addressed envelope to The New Canadian Bridge c/o Torstar Syndication Services, One Yonge St., Toronto, M5E 1E6.