Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!americast-post Newsgroups: americast.twt.metro From: americast-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: americast-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: Strategy changes with horrible split Date: Thu, 19 Nov 92 15:23:03 EST Message-ID: \SE B;METROPOLITAN;COMICS;BRIDGE \HD Strategy changes with horrible split \BY Stephen Goldstein \CR THE WASHINGTON TIMES West led the king of hearts. Don't believe everything you see. West made a fine holdup in clubs, but declarer recovered when he discovered the bad diamond split on today's deal from a recent sectional tournament. After two passes, South opened one club on his strong four-card suit. When North responded one spade, South rebid one no-trump to show a balanced minimum. North carried on to game because he thought South probably had slightly more than a minimum because he hadn't passed one spade. West cashed the king and ace of hearts, then led a third round to dummy's queen as East threw a diamond. Declarer led a club to his queen, which won. When the finesse worked, South thought East held the king of clubs, so he planned a throw-in against East by cashing out the minor suits. After declarer cashed his ace and queen of diamonds, however, West pitched a spade. Declarer had to reconsider his strategy because West was probably marked with a 4-4-1-4 shape. He might have led from a five-card suit on the opening lead and surely would have won his king of clubs if he had held five clubs to the king-10. South led the 10 of spades, covered by the jack and won by dummy's queen. The ace of spades was cashed and a third spade was conceded to West as declarer threw a heart. West cashed his 10 of hearts and declarer had the last three tricks with a club, a diamond and a spade to make the game contract. Had West won the first club finesse with his king, declarer's road would have been easier. South would cash a second club, dropping East's 10 and setting up dummy's nine as a third winner. Declarer would eventually take the spade finesse for his ninth trick. West was squeezed in three suits on the second round of diamonds. If declarer had stuck to his original plan, however, he would have gone set. Say declarer leads a third diamond to dummy's king as West throws another spade. Then South leads a club to the jack and king. West returns a third club, while the suit is blocked. Eventually, the defenders will get two tricks to defeat the contract. This article is copyright 1992 The Washington Times. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM