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BRIDGE BITES  #134

      

 

A SURPRISING DUCK

                                                                  Brian Gunnell

  

          

♠ 8432

♥ AJ43

♦ J62

♣ K2

                  

 

            Both Vulnerable

            South   West     North    East

            2♣        Pass     2♦         Pass

            3NT      Pass    6NT      Pass

            Pass    Pass

 

South’s 2♣ bid was artificial and strong, and North’s 2♦ was also artificial, showing a hand without a suit worth bidding.  Then common sense took over, and N-S blasted into 6NT.  Can you make 12 tricks?  Be warned, this one’s not easy!

♠ KT76

♥ 72

♦ T9854

♣ 63

       Dummy

 

West            East

 

       Declarer

♠ J9

♥ T9865

♦ 73

♣ JT98

 

♠ AQ5

♥ KQ

♦ AKQ

♣ AQ754

 

 

West led the Diamond Ten and Declarer could count 11 top tricks.  Where was the 12th?  One possibility was the Spade finesse but that was only a 50% proposition and Declarer knew that a 4-2 or 3-3 Club break was a more likely route to the 12th trick.  So Declarer’s general plan was to unblock the ♥KQ, cross to the ♣K, cash Dummy’s Heart winners (pitching Spades), and play on Clubs, hoping for a reasonable break in the suit.  But there is a flaw in this line of play, do you see it?

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