Source: IBPA Column Service AUG 2021
Tim Bourke
Tim 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 West. E/W Vul
9 8 3 9 8 6 Q 9 10 9 8 6 3
A K J 10 K 5 A 4 A K Q J 5
West North East South
Pass 2
2 Pass 3
Pass 5 Pass Pass
Pass
The auction was fairly straightforward after the artificial opening. Of note is that South might well have treated his hand as balanced, resulting in a final contract of three notrump – which would have succeeded since West might have led a heart and, if not, East had the queen of spades anyway. West led the jack of diamonds. Declarer covered with dummy’s queen and took the king with his ace. After drawing trumps with his ace and king, declarer cashed the ace of spades then entered dummy with the five of trumps to dummy’s ten. Next, he played a spade to his jack. When that held, declarer cashed the king of spades and ruffed the ten of spades in dummy. After these preliminaries, declarer led dummy’s nine of diamonds. West won the trick with the ten of diamonds and was endplayed. West led the ace and another heart. Declarer was able to win the trick with his king of hearts and claim the rest of the tricks to make his contract. You should note the importance of playing the queen of diamonds at trick one: it proved to be a necessary avoidance play as the cards lay – if East had gained the lead with the king of diamonds a heart shift would have defeated the contract The complete deal:
9 8 3 9 8 6 Q 9 10 9 8 6 3
5 4 A10 7 4 3 J 10 8 7 2 4 Q 7 6 2 Q J 2 K 6 5 3 7 2
A K J 10 K 5 A 4 A K Q J 5

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