Both vulnerable. East deals.

Both vulnerable. East deals.

NORTH

xK 10

uQ 10 6 5 4 3

vA K 6

w8 6

WEST EAST

x6 3 2 xA J 5 4

u8 7 uA K J 9 2

v9 8 vQ 10 3 2

wK 10 9 7 3 2 wVoid

SOUTH

xQ 9 8 7

uVoid

vJ 7 5 4

wA Q J 5 4

The bidding:

EAST SOUTH WEST NORTH

2w 3w Dbl Pass

Pass Pass

Opening lead: Nine of v

Trump Coup Tommy was not the world’s most avid duplicate player. He much preferred the hurly burly of rubber bridge where his peculiar talent of becoming an expert technician when trump broke badly could be adequately compensated. But once in a while he did sally forth to make his strange mark on the world of tournament bridge. This deal is from a team competition.

East’s two-club opening bid was announced as a three-suited hand with a singleton or void somewhere. Tommy is not the sort to allow minor details like that to interfere with his natural inclinations and he trotted out a three-club overcall on his 10 points and rather ordinary suit. Before doubling, West checked the backs of his cards to make sure they were from the right-colored deck!

West led the top of his diamond doubleton, and a most satisfactory dummy hit the table. The king of diamonds won the opening lead and the king of spades was led to East’s ace. East would have liked to return a trump, but circumstances prevented that. He tried to cash the ace of hearts, but Tommy’s ruff was a signal to the defenders that all might not be going their way!

There followed in short order the queen of spades, a spade ruff in dummy, a heart ruff in hand and a diamond to the ace to bring Tommy’s trick total to six. He simply exited with a loser and hapless West could do nothing other than ruff and lead a trump, taken by Tommy’s jack. The diamond return was ruffed by West and the trump return into Tommy’s tenace brought his trick total to nine — all he needed!

2009 Tribune Media Services