Source:IBPAColumn Service NOV 2022Tim Bourke**Source: wikipedia:Tim Bourke “is an Australian bridge player and writer. His joint project with Justin Corfield “the Art of Declarer Play” won the International Bridge Press Book of the Year award in 2014.IMPs Dealer South. Both Vul
A 9
A 9 4
10 7 6 5
10 9 6 2
K Q J 5 3 2
2
A K 4
A 5 4
West
North
East
South
Pass
Pass
Pass
1
Pass
1NT
Pass
3
Pass
4
End
This deal is from a team game. The queen of hearts was led at both tables. After dummy appeared, both declarers counted six tricks in trumps and four in the side suits.
At the first table, declarer won the opening lead with the ace of hearts and quickly cashed the ace of trumps. Disaster struck, as the five-zero trump break was revealed. Declarer gamely ruffed a heart next then cashed his minor suit winners and exited with a diamond to West’s jack. West did not make the mistake of playing a heart, which would have given declarer his tenth trick. Instead, he exited with a low club to East’s king. Declarer took East’s ten of a trumps with the jack and played a club to West’s queen. When East discarded his king of hearts, declarer had to concede a trump trick to East for a one-trick set.
At the other table, the declarer was more circumspect. After realizing that he would always have ten tricks if the trumps were no worse than four-one, declarer saw that he would have a good chance of making his contract even if trumps proved to be five-zero provided he could score two of his low trumps by ruffing hearts, a trump elopement. So, at trick two, he called for dummy’s four of hearts and ruffed it in hand with his two of trumps. Next, declarer cashed the king of spades. When West showed out, declarer took his minor-suit winners as a precaution, then led a low trump to dummy’s ace. Another heart ruff meant ten tricks.
If both defenders had followed to the first spade, declarer would have drawn trumps and claimed the ten obvious tricks.
The complete deal:
A 9
A 9 4
10 7 6 5
10 9 6 2
