Bridge - The Scotsman 28/05/13

SCOTLAND’S Senior Camrose team improved as the weekend progressed. This board contributed to a draw in their second match against Ireland.

In the Closed Room the Scottish West opened a 1C, silencing North. East responded 1S, and West raised, happy that partner had not bid hearts. North and South pondered in turn, but each passed. South led a diamond, which East misread as a doubleton, and after some butchery, 2S was one down.

The real action was in the Open Room, where Alan Goodman made an early entry to the auction and West doubled North in 4H. The defence began with three rounds of diamonds. Declarer ruffed and ran the queen of hearts, then the jack, on which West discarded a club. Leaving the king of hearts at large Brian Short started on clubs, playing them from the top. East ruffed the third round, overruffed with dummy’s ace. Now came dummy’s last diamond, the nine (the Curse of Scotland). When West produced the queen Short discarded his spade, and he needed the rest of the tricks:

West was endplayed: a club is ruffed in dummy, establishing North’s suit; and a spade gives a trick to the king to go with three trump on a crossruff.