Baltimore Sun

Bridge Play

- Frank Stewart

This week’s deals have treated safety plays: guarding against a foul lie of the cards. Cover the East-West hands and try to make 3NT. West leads the seven of spades: deuce, queen, king.

If you can run dummy’s diamonds, you will make overtricks. That is what the actual declarer aspired to do: He led the queen and a second diamond.

When West discarded, South couldn’t afford to clear the diamonds since East would be in to return a spade; West would cash out his suit. So South tried the K-A and a third club. The suit broke 3-3, but East won and returned a spade. Down one.

OVERTRICKS

South would try for overtricks at matchpoint duplicate, but at IMPs or party bridge, he must play safe for nine tricks. He leads a club to dummy at Trick Two and returns a diamond to his ten. Even if West has the jack, South makes his game: His jack of spades is safe from attack, and he is sure of four diamonds (probably five), two clubs, two hearts and a spade.

Did you find the correct play?

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United States