The Sunday Independent

BRIDGE PUZZLE

SELDOM SEEN

Both vulnerable. South deals.

Opening lead: Queen of ♥

West, holding very few high cards, tried to hit his partner’s suit with his opening lead. The heart lead was an excellent choice as it began the process of setting up a heart trick for the defense without giving anything to declarer. On any other lead, declarer might have been able to set up a club trick or two. That was impossible after a heart lead as the defense would be able to set up a heart trick before South could set up a club trick.

South had eight tricks, counting one diamond, and he could possibly develop another if East held the ace of diamonds. The problem was that he needed to lead toward the diamonds twice to set up two tricks, or so he thought. The lucky lie in the diamond suit meant that only one lead from dummy would be required.

South, of course, didn’t know that. South cashed the king of spades at trick two and continued with the queen of spades. On the queen, West made the spectacular false card of the jack! Look at this from declarer’s point of view. It appeared that the spades were splitting 3-2, with West having the doubleton jack. That would give declarer the two entries that he needed to lead diamonds. South overtook his queen of spades with dummy’s queen and was crestfallen when East showed out. South had the two entries he wanted, the ace of spades and the 10 of spades, but he now had a spade loser that he did not have before. Brilliant play!

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2021-07-25T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-07-25T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://thesundayindependent.pressreader.com/article/282548726299413

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