Sunday, July 28, 2002		Bridge

South missed a textbook avoidance play
by Omar Sharif

"IT was a complete guess!" complained South after going down in his contract of three no-trumps on this week’s deal. "If the black Aces are reversed or I lead Spades first, I make it easily."

"Very unlucky," agreed North, but he caught my eye (I was West) and winked.

North dealt at game all and opened One Club, to which South responded One Diamond. An immediate Three No-trumps would have saved time, for that is what he chose on the next round after North’s rebid of One Spade.

As West, I had led the six of Hearts and partner’s King lost to the Ace.

Without much thought declarer set about the clubs, but East won the first round and returned a Heart. Now there was no route to more than eight tricks.

Some of South’s comment was true but not the bit about it being a complete guess. He had missed a textbook avoidance play.

He needed three tricks from the black suits and could not afford East getting in before these three winners were established.

The winning play, which succeeds against any distribution, is to cross to dummy’s Jack of Diamonds at trick two and lead a low Spade.

If East holds the Ace, he cannot play it without conceding three tricks in the suit; and if he decides not to play it, declarer switches rapidly to Clubs to establish the two extra tricks that he needs.

As the cards lie, it is West who wins the Queen with his Ace but he cannot profitably attack Hearts again from his side. Again, South has plenty of time to build up the tricks he needs in Clubs.