BRIDGE
Love story
Andrew Robson
IN a dreadful contract, you have nothing to lose. You can only hope that the opposing cards lie in such a way as to allow you to succeed and utter a little prayer.
Oliver Segal has little time for bridge these days because of his duties as a barris- ter. He must have stopped off at a church on his way back from court to his bridge game, for his prayers were answered on this week's deal.
Dealer West Both vulnerable
4A Q 8 7 3 V A J 10 4 • A J 7 4 7
The Bidding South West North East 14 pass 24 pass 2V pass 44 pass 64 pass pass pass
Having correctly responded 24 (not INT or 2NT) to 14, North heard his partner rebid 2V, showing five 4s and four Vs with four of each South would have opened 1V. He fell in love with his kings in both of partner's suits and jumped slightly opti- mistically to 44. Expecting rather more, Oliver bid a slam. West led the king of dia- monds and declarer ducked. At trick two West wisely shifted — to 40. How did he make his slam?
Declarer had to hope that East held pre- cisely three Vs headed by the VQ and only two trumps. He won dummy's 4A, cashed 4K, 4A, played V4 to VK and played V5 to East's V9 and his V10, winning the trick. He then led ♦A in case ♦Q fell. When it did not, he cashed VA felling East's VQ, discarding a ♦ from dummy and led VI, discarding dummy's last ♦. As it was West who held the remaining missing trump, East discarded harmlessly on this trick. Declarer trumped ♦J with dummy's last trump, trumped a 4 and finally drew West's 410 with 4Q and claimed. 4 10 5 2 V7 6 3 2
• K Q 10 +Q J 9
# K 6 4 VK5
• 6 5 3 2 + A 5 3 2
4J 9 V Q 9 8 • 9 8 4 40K 108 6 4
N W E
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