GOREN ON BRIDGE

South in today’s deal was Pakistani expert Khalid Mohiuddin, from a match against a team from Canada. He had a difficult choice of bids at his second turn. Double, four diamonds,

and five diamonds

all have merit. His choice of

four spades was reasonable

and he caught a suitable

dummy for his efforts.

Khalid ruffed the opening

club lead, crossed to

dummy with the king of

hearts, and led a spade to

his 10 and West’s jack. He

ruffed the club continuation,

crossed to dummy

with the ace of diamonds

and led another spade. Ugh!

He rose with his ace when

East showed out, leaving

himself with the singleton

queen and West with the

king-nine doubleton.

Fighting to the end,

Khalid led a heart to

dummy’s queen and ruffed

dummy’s remaining club

with his queen of spades.

He led a low diamond and

West was helpless. Ruffing

with a natural trump winner

would have been giving

up, so West discarded a

heart instead. He was just

postponing the inevitable.

Khalid won with dummy’s

king and led the last trump

to West. West could cash

another trump, but then

had to lead a heart into the

ace-10 and Khalid had his

contract. A beauty!