Source: Eugene Register-Guard – 1 Oct 1969
Now that the weather’s a bit cooler, we can play more bridge. A bridge player uses his brains so furiously that he’s danger of getting overheated and exploding if he picks the wrong time of the year for his exercise. See if you can work up a sweat over today’s hand, taken from “Hold Our Bridge Hands,” by Charles J. Solomon and Bert Wilson.
Dealer: South N/S VUL
|
 9 7 3
 A 6 5
 Q J 10 8 3
 K 10 |
|
| J 8
J 9 7
K 6 5 2
7 5 4 3 |
|
A K Q 10 5 2
4
9 7
J 8 6 2 |
|
6 4
K Q 10 8 3 2
A 4
A Q 9 |
| West |
North |
East |
South |
|
|
|
1 |
| Pass |
2 |
2 |
3 |
| Pass |
4 |
End |
|
Opening lead:
J
West leads the jack of spades, -and East overtakes with the . queen just in case West’s card happens to be * singleton. East continues with the ace of spades and then the king. The average declarer works himself into a lather at this trick. He fingers the ten of hearts and the queen of hearts, trying to choose which card to, play on the king of spades.
The ten of hearts will be high enough if East happens to have the jack, but if West has the jack of hearts, South probably considers ruffing with the queen of hearts. Then he will be safe if the jack of hearts is singleton or part of a doubleton. Both plans happen to fail. If South ruffs with the ten, West overruffs with the jack.
If South ruffs with the queen, West’s jack becomes set up for a later trump trick. South eventually ‘loses a diamond trick as well Down one. South can keep cool if he doesn’t ruff the third spade at all. He should discard the low diamond, allowing East to win the trick. If East then leads st .fourth spade, South ruffs low. If West then overruffs, dummy can win with the ace of trumps. South can then easily draw the trumps and claim the rest of the tricks.
