Bridge - The Scotsman 19/06/12

THIS 3NT contract from the East District Women’s Teams looks shaky, but Anne Symons brought it home with some skilful card-reading. South led the two of hearts, through dummy’s major.

Anne realised that North probably had a doubleton honour, and played low from dummy. North had to play the ten to force out the ace, but now dummy’s K9x were good for two more tricks in the suit. Anne led ace and another club. South’s queen suggested a four-two break, so she won the king and played a spade to the queen. When that scored she led the eight of hearts, ducking when South covered with the jack. South switched to the ten of diamonds, but too late.

Anne won the king finessed the nine of hearts, cashed the king discarding a diamond, and led dummy’s second spade.

North took the ace, but had no good play. Declarer had already made one spade, three hearts, a diamond and two clubs. A club into dummy’s J9 gives two more; a diamond gives a second diamond trick to go with the jack of clubs, and a spade allows declarer to cash her king and then make the jack of clubs.

In the other room declarer squandered the nine of hearts at trick one. When North gained the lead with the ace of spades her heart return established two tricks for South, and the contract could no longer be made.