Bridge - The Scotsman 25/03/13

THE Scottish Men’s Teams were won convincingly by Iain Sime (John Matheson, Alan Goodman, Brian Short)

The auction told declarer that North had most of his partnership’s high cards, so West had an easier ride in 4S than East. North led the queen of diamonds, and declarer won the ace, drew trump and led a second diamond. North split his honours, and declarer won the king and played the nine, discarding a heart. North’s safest exit was a fourth diamond, but declarer discarded another heart, then led ace and queen of clubs, endplaying North.

Short found a neat partial elimination to flatten the board. South led the five of diamonds, taken with the ace. Short continued with the king of diamonds and a diamond ruff, then played king and ace of spades. He now led his last diamond, discarding a heart from dummy. North won and found himself on lead in this position:

If he leads a club declarer draws the last trump and ducks two hearts; if he leads ace and another heart declarer draws trump and repeats the endplay by playing ace-queen of clubs. He might try his fifth diamond, but declarer discards a club and ruffs in dummy. Then he draws trump and ducks two hearts.