Sunday, August 26, 2001		Bridge

Sorting an interesting hand
by Omar Sharif

A correspondent asks how often I play bridge and how do I manage to sort out an interesting hand each week.

It is a difficult two-part question — the first answer is, "not as often as I would like" and the second, "from a variety of sources but, as often as I can, from my own activities at the table."

This week’s hand — and I make no apologies — appeared in the International Bridge Press Association Bulletin, but I liked it!

North dealt at game all and opened and One Heart. South responded One Heart. South responded One Spade, North raised to Two Spades and South (as he put it, to save time) jumped to Six Spades.

West led the Queen of Spades and a second round of the suit revealed a trump loser. Prospects for declarer were not good and about the only chance lay in finding West with both minor suit Kings and being able to organise an end-play.

The winning play was neat — declarer crossed to the Ace of Hearts, played off just one more top Heart to discard a Diamond and leave himself with just three cards in both minors, ruffed a low Heart in hand and exited with a trump.

This left West on lead and, no matter which minor suit he chose, dummy was able to win with the Queen and declarer’s two losers in the other suit went away on the established Hearts.

The interesting thing is that declarer must not take a premature discard on the third top Heart before ruffing one, for he does not know what to discard.

If he tries it, West can get off lead with whichever suit declarer has thrown. One extra trick comes in but there is still a loser in the other minor suit.