Independent on Saturday

NEIL HAYWARD BRIDGE

WEST

♠ Q J T 7 ♥ J 5 4 ♦ T763 ♣ Q 3

NORTH

♠ 8 4

♥8

♦ K J 9 4

♣ J T 8 5 4 2 EAST

♠ 6 3 2

♥ K Q7 6 2 ♦8

♣ K 9 7 6

SOUTH

♠ AK 9 5 ♥ AT 9 3 ♦ AQ5 2 ♣ A

Contract: 3NT by South

Opening Lead: ♠Q. What is your line of play? Recommended Line: You see eight tricks. The club suit will have to provide a ninth. You win at trick one, having noticed that clubs are blocked. You will unblock the ♣A, and you must then reach dummy three times: to concede two club tricks, and to reach dummy to cash a good club. While you need three entries to dummy, it seems that you have just two: the ♦K and the ♦J. But that observation overlooks this fact: remarkable possibilities lie deep within most bridge hands. There are in fact three entries to dummy; the challenge is to see them. Here goes: cash the ♣A, the ♦A, and then lead the ♦Q. If West follows, overtake, even though diamonds might break badly (as they do here). Now, lead a low club, not a top one. If their clubs split 3-3, it does not matter which club you play. However, if clubs are 4-2, with a defender holding ♣ Qx or ♣ Kx, it is essential to lead a low club off table. In due course, you finesse the ♦9, and establish a ninth trick by leading the ♣J. The ♦K allows you to reach a good club.

THE XFILES

en-za

2022-07-02T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-07-02T07:00:00.0000000Z

http://independentonsaturday.pressreader.com/article/282209424550283

African News Agency