Bridge - The Scotsman 13/03/2012

The winners of the Trials for the European Championship Women’s team were Sheila Adamson. Anne Symons, Sam Punch and Liz McGowan. Runners-up were Sheila Macdonald and Maida Grant, Fiona McQuaker and Yvonne Wiseman; the latter pair will make up the team for Dublin

On this deal North’s takeout double of the Stayman response served only to help declarer. Such a risky entry into a live auction surely indicated most of the outstanding points and a singleton heart, so West could play double dummy. The diamond lead went to the ten and king, and declarer led a heart to the queen and ace. South switched to spades, and declarer tried the eight, covered with the jack and ace. She led the eight of hearts from dummy, intending to run it, but South covered with the nine. When North discarded a diamond declarer had a marked finesse for three heart tricks. She led a diamond, but North hopped up with the queen to lead a second spade to the nine and ten.

Declarer had made two spade tricks to go with three hearts, one diamond and two clubs. She could establish a second diamond, but North would win and cash two spades for one down, so she had to rely on an endplay. She crossed to the ace of clubs to finesse hearts and force North to make two more discards. She had to throw a winner, then lead into declarer’s club tenace, or bare the queen of clubs.