BRIDGE

Both vulnerable. South deals.

NORTH

xK J 8 6

u7 4 2

vK 9 3

wK Q 5

WEST EAST

x5 4 2 xA 7 3

uJ 10 9 8 3 uQ 6

v10 6 5 v8 7 4 2

wA 2 w9 8 6 4

SOUTH

xQ 10 9

uA K 5

vA Q J

wJ 10 7 3

The bidding:

SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST

1NT Pass 3NT Pass

Pass Pass

Opening lead: Jack of u

When holding just one stopper in the enemy suit, all declarers have been drilled about the advantages obtained by refusing to expend the stopper until absolutely necessary. With a double stopper in the suit, however, many take a more casual approach. “What can go wrong?” they ask rhetorically. Plenty, as this deal illustrates.

Simple addition is all that is required to get North-South to three no trump. Note that, with a square hand and no short suit to ruff, North saw no reason to probe for a 4-4 spade fit.

West led the jack of hearts, East correctly put up the queen to prevent the suit from possibly getting blocked, and declarer took the king. With two black suits to be set up and no indication which to tackle first, South elected to start by going after dummy’s spades. East won with the ace and reverted to hearts, and declarer’s remaining heart stopper was forced out. With only eight tricks, declarer needed a club trick to get home. But West grabbed the ace on the first club lead and cashed out the hearts for a one-trick set.

True, declarer could have gotten home by starting on clubs before spades, but that would have been pure guesswork. The contract was cold as long as the two aces were split between the defenders no matter how the hearts divided. All declarer had to do was refuse to win the first trick.

The heart continuation is taken in the closed hand and, as before, declarer leads a spade. East wins but has no heart to return, so declarer now has time to force out the ace of clubs. And if East does have a heart, it means the suit is breaking 4-3 and the defenders can collect only two heart tricks and the two black aces.

2009 Tribune Media Services