There is more than one way to win
Bermuda bridge continues to survive amid the pandemic thanks to the online club and other games, and due to the efforts of a few people I’ve mentioned before in this column, that keep it all fresh and alive.
I’m sure, however, that a number of you can’t wait for the club games to resume, some for the social contact and others who simply can’t get used to playing online.
Fingers crossed that the drop in cases continues, and things open up soon.
Today’s hand is one of my all-time favourites, as there appears to be more than one way to achieve success in the slam contract and declarer has to give himself the maximum number of chances to get there (see Figure 1).
South opened one Diamond, and after West overcalled one Spade North drove to the small slam in Diamonds — West led the Spade Queen. Over to you …
One hint — Morton’s Fork Coup, where you give a defender a choice of two losing options — now take a few minutes to try it yourself and then read on.
The key to this hand is to not play the Ace or King of Spades at trick one, because you have no useful discard ….as yet!
Ready? Ruff the Spade, draw trumps ending in your hand and, because West rates to hold the Heart Ace for his overcall, lead a low Heart towards the Queen — West is now caught in the fork!
See Figure 2 for the full hand.
If West ducks you win the Queen and now discard both your remaining Hearts on the Spades and you can even afford to lose a club and make the slam.
So, what if West wins the Ace? Now you can win any return, cash the Heart Queen, play Ace and King of Clubs and if the Queen has not appeared, throw dummy’s Club on the Heart King, ruff a club and claim.
Just beautiful …
BRIDGE CLUB RESULTS
Saturday 1 May
1.Judith Kitson - Gill Butterfield
2.Joann Dawson - Mike Dawson
3/4Inger Mesna - George Correia
3/4Elaine Stevens - Ian Hilton
Monday 3 May
North/South
1.Gill Gray - Pat Siddle
2.Molly Roraback - Charles Roraback
3.Wendy Gray - Richard Gray
East/West
1.Linda Pollett - Bill Pollett
2.Marge Way - John Burville
3.Charles Hall - Jack Rhind
Tuesday 4 May
1.Willi Lawrence - Neil Gilbertson
2/3Malcolm Moseley - Mark Stevens
2/3Jean Schilling - Tim Mardon
Wednesday 5 May
1.Marge Way - Charles Hall
2.Linda Pollett - Bill Pollett
3.Gertie Barker - Jane Smith
Thursday 6 May
1.Stephanie Kyme - Charles Hall
2.Bill Pollett - David Cordon
3.Willi Lawrence - Tim Mardon
Friday 7 May
1.Elaine Stevens - Ian Hilton
2.Linda Pollett - Bill Pollett
3.Marge Way - Fabian Hupe
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