A JUNIOR AWARD FOR AN OPEN CHAMPION

Happy New Year! Here’s hoping 2022 is a great year.

The International Bridge Press Association gives annual awards in various categories. For his expertise in today’s deal, Christian Bakke won the Richard Freeman Junior Deal of the Year award.

This deal was played during the Scandic Maritim Cup in Norway and reported by GeO Tislevoll, a Norwegian who lives in New Zealand.

West couldn’t open with a weak two-bid in diamonds. Bakke (South) took a shot at four spades, hoping partner had something useful and not worrying about missing a slam opposite a passed partner.

West led the diamond king; luckily for declarer, not a lethal low heart or trump. Bakke won with his ace and played the club king. East defended strongly by refusing to take the trick. (If he had won and returned a trump, declarer would have played clubs from the board, discarding losers galore.)

Bakke realized that he needed East to have started with only one diamond. If so, he was ripe for an endplay. Bakke led the spade five to dummy’s king and played the club queen, ruffing East’s ace with his spade six. Then declarer cashed his spade ace and continued with the carefully conserved spade two, forcing East to win the trick even if he had thrown an honor under South’s spade ace.

East took his two trump tricks but then had either to lead away from his heart king or play a club, letting declarer into the dummy for its club winners.

Bakke, who also won last year’s Norwegian Open Pairs Championship, lost only two trump tricks.