Source:IBPAColumn Service NOV 2021Tim 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 East. E/O Vul
10 5 3
A Q 3
K 8 6
Q 10 4 2
A Q J 8 7 2
7 6 4
10 3
A K
West
North
East
South
1
1
Pass
2
Pass
4
Pass
Pass
Pass
After cue-bidding to show a limit raise or better in hearts, North planned to bid three notrump if South rebid anything else at the three level. However, South removed that possibility with his leap to the spade game. South later said that he should have rebid three hearts to get the partnership to three notrump.
West led the 9 against 4. Declarer rose with dummy’s ace of hearts and then led the ten of spades. East played the 6. Declarer played the seven from hand, preserving the option of returning to dummy if trumps were two-two. At trick three, declarer called for dummy’s five of trumps and was temporarily delighted to see East’s king of the suit, as it looked like the suit was two-two. However, West’s discard of a low diamond put paid to that hope.
Declarer was about to run his winners in the hope that he could exert pressure on East and guess the endgame when he cracked a small smile. Instead of that flawed plan, declarer cashed the ace and king of clubs before exiting with his two of trumps to dummy’s three and East’s four. East was endplayed because, no matter what suit he played now, the result would be that dummy would score at least two winners. Declarer would make five trumps, a heart, three clubs and one winner from the queen of hearts, the king of diamonds or the ten of clubs.
You should note that, if declarer decides to runs all of his trumps instead, then East should come down to two hearts and pitch the queen of diamonds. Then declarer will have guess whether East began with six hearts or five
10 5 3
A Q 3
K 8 6
Q 10 4 2
