NEW CANADIAN BRIDGE

Monday, March 1, 2021

Dummy's queen was covered by the king as East cashed the spade king and then returned the ten of clubs.

West overtook to run the clubs and fired back the ten of spades. When dummy played low, East overtook with the jack and cashed the ace to earn a two-trick set (+200).

It was necessary for East to overtake the ten of spades or the partscore would have finished down only one.

West should have contributed the ten of spades on the king to make it clear that he held a doubleton but East concluded that declarer, who owned but two clubs, was surely marked with three spades.

Declarer was a tad unlucky that E-W had found the perfect defense saddling him with a probable matchpoint zero. South could manage eight tricks in a diamond partscore but North's decision to pass 1NT was eminently reasonable.

West, on the other hand, could emerge with nine tricks in a club contract by finessing North for the club queen to score a modest +110. This would be a most unlikely landing because East has no convenient way to enter the auction. A double of 1NT would have promised at least 4-4 in the black suits.

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.