Playing and making your contract is not a sure thing. Some declarers playing at the local dupe found a 100-percent line with this month’s hand. Cover the E/W cards and see if you can find the ‘sure thing.’
both: Vul
dealer: South
the bidding
S
1 ♥
3 ♦
Pass
W
3 ♣ (Pre)
Pass
Pass
N
DBL (Neg)
4 ♥
E
Pass
Pass
« Opening lead: Q♠
« Cover the East/West hands and see if you can make the contract.
NORTH
♠ A J 8 5
♥ A J 6 2
♦ 8 7 2
♣ 7 4
WEST
♠
♥ 10 8
♦ 9 6 4 3
♣ A K Q J 6 3 2
EAST
♠ K Q 7 6 4 2
♥ 9 7
♦ J 10 5
♣ 9 8
SOUTH
♠ 10 9 3
♥ K Q 5 4 3
♦ A K Q
♣ 10 5
the play
1. West led the ♣ Ace, 4 from dummy, East the 9, and South the 5.
2. West continued with the ♣ King, 7 from dummy, East the 8, and South the 10.
3. West shifted to the ♦ 4, dummy the 2, East the 10, and declarer the Ace.
4. Declarer, after some thought, drew trumps in two rounds.
5. Declarer cleared the ♦s with the King and the Queen.
6. Now the 100-percent play: the ♠ 10 was led to East’s Queen.
7. East was end-played.
8. With all suits eliminated, East had no choice but to lead a ♠ into dummy’s Ace and Jack.
9. Two ♣s and one ♠ were the only losers. Declarer had 10 tricks: four ♥s bid and made with an elimination play.
Note: Did you fantasize as West that if your partner held the ♣s 10 and 9, the contract could have been defeated?
tip of the day
Q| I went down in a four-heart game and received a bad boa rd. Our opponents said I could have made the hand on an elimination play. What is that?
A| An elimination play, also known as an end-play, is when declarer forces defender to make a disadvantageous lead.
Do you have a good bridge tip? Email kennethmbland@yahoo.com.
