Take Four

This week you are playing E-W, and as the problem is a tough one you get four attempts to beat the contract.

North’s bid was a Negative Double, showing the unbid suits. She usually has 4 cards in the unbid major for that bid, but was stuck for a good alternative. Anyway, South lands in 4♥, and you are on defense. Can you beat this precarious contract?

Take 1: Spades are led, Declarer ruffing the third round. The ♥8 is ducked around to East’s Queen. But East has no Spades left, and it’s easy for Declarer to win whatever is returned, draw trumps and claim the rest. Cut!

Take 2: The defense has a certain trump trick and they must make sure that it is West who wins that trick. This allows Spades to be continued, causing Declarer to lose trump control. So, when the ♥8 is led, West must hop up with the Ten, forcing Declarer to play Dummy’s King. Now a Heart to Declarer’s Ace and a low Heart to East’s Queen. Again the wrong defender has won the Heart trick. Cut!

Take 3: OK, suppose West plays his ♥T on the first round, forcing Dummy’s King, but then, on the second round, East cleverly jumps up with the Queen. No, that won’t work either, Declarer simply lets the Queen win. Cut!

Take 4: As before, West plays the ♥T, and East must do his part by dropping the ♥Q under Dummy’s King! Great defense! This guarantees that West wins the defense’s Heart trick and he is the one who can play Spades. Down one!

That would be an awfully hard defense to find at the table, don’t you think? If fact, it’s tough enough even when looking at all four hands. But a thing of beauty nonetheless, all the more so as it gave both defenders a starring role.

Article courtesy of the American Contract Bridge League. Visit www.acbl.org for more about the fascinating game of bridge.