Source:IBPAColumn Service JUL 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
J 6
Q J 10
A J 8 6 3
9 7 5
—
K 9 6 4 3
9 7 5 4 2
J 10 8
Q 8 5
A 8 7
K Q 10
K 6 4 3
A K 10 9 7 4 3 2
5 2
—
A Q 2
West
North
East
South
1
4
Pass
Pass
Pass
This deal was from an intermediate class. Every East player opened one club and every South player knew what do too – they all bid four spades. Eventually, four spades was passed out at all four tables.
The lead at every table was the obvious one, the J. At two tables, declarer took the first trick with his Q and cashed the ace of trumps. When their left-hand opponents discarded a diamond, these declarers saw that they would have to lose a trump, two hearts and a club for down one.
At a third table, South led a heart to dummy at trick two. East won and continued with a club. Declarer now cashed the spade ace and played a second heart. West won and cashed a club then exited with a red suit, forcing declarer to ruff dummy’s winner, so, stranded in hand, he had to lose a trick to East’s queen of trumps.
At the fourth table, South was the best of the sixteen newcomers in the room. She sensed that there would be hardly any point to the deal if the ace and king of trumps would draw the outstanding trumps. So, she considered what to do if East had three trumps to the queen. After a short pause she found the answer: she led her ten of trumps at trick two!
What could East do now?
If he ducked, declarer would make eight trumps and two clubs for her contract. East took his queen of trumps and continued with a club. Declarer was now in control: she rose with the ace of clubs then played a low trump to dummy’s jack. Then, after throwing her losing club on dummy’s ace of diamonds, she had ten tricks
J 6
Q J 10
A J 8 6 3
9 7 5
