The Sunday Independent

BRIDGE PUZZLE

AVOIDANCE

East-West vulnerable. South deals.

Opening lead: Five of ♠

Today’s deal is from a competition in England, where the weak no trump is popular. These players open one of a minor and rebid one no trump with 15-17, exactly the opposite of what strong no trump players do.

South held up dummy’s ace on the first two rounds of spades and won the third round, discarding a club from his hand. He could make his contract if he could develop two tricks from the diamond suit without allowing West to gain the lead. He needed a 5-3 spade split as well, but the opponents’ carding made it look like that was the case. A 3-3 split in diamonds would do it, again providing that he could keep West off lead, and there were also some 4-2 splits that could be handled.

Declarer led a heart to his jack and led a small diamond toward the dummy, inserting dummy’s eight when West played low. East captured this with his 10 and exited safely with a low heart to South’s ace. Another low diamond fetched the jack from West, covered by dummy’s queen and losing to East’s ace. The king and nine of diamonds were both high and gave declarer the nine tricks that he needed.

Had the jack of diamonds not appeared, declarer would have to guess whether the diamonds were splitting 3-3 or to finesse East for the jack. Good technique by declarer in the diamond suit!

THE XFILES

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2021-09-19T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-09-19T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://thesundayindependent.pressreader.com/article/282441352225286

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