Bridge: Aug. 25, 2024

I do not know the origin of today’s deal; I suspect it is lost somewhere in the mists of time.

Contract bridge is approaching its centennial: The game

began in 1925 and swiftly became a rage. Then, during the Great Depression, talented people had time on their hands. Not only were many of the now-familiar techniques of play devised (some arose even before then, in the days of whist and auction bridge), but players constructed deals with elegant card-play themes.

Suppose you are declarer at six spades, and West leads the queen of clubs. How will you play to win 12 tricks? You can look at all four hands.

If the trumps break no worse than 3-1, South can count 11 tricks: seven trumps, a heart, a club and two diamonds. His 12th trick can come only from dummy’s long diamonds.

If South leads a trump to dummy’s king, takes the A-K of diamonds and leads a third diamond, to which East follows, South can ruff with the ace and lead a second trump to dummy. He would succeed with a 2-2 trump break, but when East turns up with three trumps, South fails. When dummy leads a diamond winner, East ruffs, and South loses a club and a heart.

South’s correct play is to take the A-K of diamonds, ruff the third diamond with the ace of trumps, go back to the king of trumps and lead a good diamond, pitching the losing club. If East ruffs and tries to cash a club, declarer ruffs, draws the missing trump with dummy’s queen and discards his losing heart on a good diamond.

North dealer

N-S vulnerable

NORTH

S K Q

H 7 4 2

D A K 8 7 4 3

C A 8

WEST

S J

H Q 8 6 5 3

D 10 6

C Q J 10 9 2

EAST

S 10 8 5

H K J 9

D Q J 9

C K 7 4 3

SOUTH

S A 9 7 6 4 3 2

H A 10

D 5 2

C 6 5

North East South West
1 D Pass 1 S Pass
3 D Pass 3 S Pass
4 C Pass 4 H Pass
6 S All Pass
Opening lead — C Q

©2024 Tribune Content Agency, LLC.