frs1016@centurylink.net
Every month or so, I go to Birmingham, Alabama, for dinner and a bridge game with old friends and former teammates. We always have interesting deals.
Cover today’s West/South cards and defend as East. Over your 1NT bid, South’s “Unusual” 2NT showed a huge hand, almost surely a two-suiter. Against 4♥, West leads a club, you win, and South plays the jack.
What do you lead at Trick Two?
| Dlr: East | ♠ 7 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Vul: None | ♥ Q 7 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| ♦ Q 8 7 6 5 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ♣ Q 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ♠ J 8 6 5 3 | ♠ K Q 10 4 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| ♥ J 8 | ♥ 9 5 4 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| ♦ — | ♦ A 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| ♣ 10 8 7 6 3 2 | ♣ A K 9 4 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| ♠ A 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ♥ A K 10 6 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ♦ K J 10 9 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| ♣ J | ||||||||||||||||||||||
|
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Opening lead — ♣6
Spade Return
East worked out that South had hearts and diamonds, so East led the ♦A 2. West ruffed, but South ruffed the club return, drew trumps and ran the diamonds to pitch his spade loser, making four. (East-West could make four spades!)
East must lead the ♦2 without taking the ace. If West ruffs and leads a spade, East can cash a spade when he takes the ♦A. Moreover, East could win the first club with the ace, ostensibly denying that he had the king, to help West find the winning spade shift. That would have been a defense to remember.
Daily Question
You hold:
♠A 9
♥A K 10 6 3
♦K J 10 9 4
♣J
You open 1♥, your partner responds 1♠, you bid 2♦and he tries 2NT. What do you say?
