BRIDGE
La circonspection
Andrew Robson
BRIDGE continues to thrive in France. French bridge players have always been natural bidders and careful card players. Cover up the East West hands and see if your card reading is as accurate as Bene- dicte Cronier on a hand taken from the 1997 European Pairs.
Dealer South 4 10 6 4 3 • 8 5 • J 10 7 3 +6 2 2 4K 8 7 • K 102 • 8 6 5 +095 North-South vulnerable 4 4 J 5 rA 9 4
• Q
+KJ 108 4 3
N
W E
4 A 9 • Q J 7 6 3 • A K 9 2 + A 7 The Bidding
South West North East
1•* pass 2• 3+ 4 • pass pass pass * playing Five card majors West's 46 lead went to the five, eight and declarer won +A. She led a IF to dummy's b Xing and East won his ace. He returned "•Q and she won •K. She played a • to dummy's ten and a V back to her knave, on which West discarded a 4. The simple line from this point is to play •A, hoping for a 3-2 split, in which case the third • can be conceded and the fourth • estab- lished. Cronier played for time, leading her second 4. East beat dummy's queen with his king and led a third 4, trumped by declarer whilst West discarded a second 4.
East's switch to •Q at trick two, coupled with his failure to lead another • when in with 4K, convinced declarer that his •Q was singleton. Assuming West to hold all three missing •s, Cronier managed to find a way of holding her losers to just one trick. Can you see how?
She led 4A, played a 4 to dummy's king and trumped dummy's third 4. Her last three cards were •A92 and West's •J107. She led a low • towards dummy's 8. West won •10 but was forced to lead a • into declarer's A9 at trick 12.
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