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BRIDGE BITES  #23

 

 

AN AFTERNOON NAP

                                                                    Brian Gunnell

 

♠ Q432

♥ J

♦ AKQT2

♣ J53

 

 

 

E-W Vulnerable

South   West     North    East

                           1♦          3♠

4♥         Pass    Pass    Pass

 

East’s 3♠ bid was preemptive, showing a long suit (usually 7 cards) and a weak hand, its purpose being to make life difficult for the opponents.  And so it does, pushing N-S into an ugly 4♥ contract which has 5 top losers.

 

        Dummy

 

West            East

 

       Declarer

♠ 87

♥ AKQT98

♦ 98

♣ T86

 

 West cashes his three Clubs and then shifts to a Diamond.  You win that in Dummy and draw trumps, West following four times.  Now, if you can bring home the Diamond suit, both of those Spade losers will disappear and this rotten contract will actually make!  Do you play Diamonds from the top (hoping that they are 3-3 or that East has Jx)?  Or do you finesse the Ten (playing West to have Jxxx)?

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