October 2022 - 64

Advanced Players
My Bridge and Yours
I
n a Sectional Swiss Teams,
we win our first two matches
without difficulty but face stern
opposition in our third match. On the
fourth board, with no swingy boards
having appeared at my table, both
sides are vulnerable, and as South I
hold:
5 3 kA K 4 2 l3 'A K J 10 8 7.
West passes as dealer, and my
partner opens 1. I respond 2', he
bids 2l and I try 2k. This " fourthsuit "
call neither promises nor denies
heart length. It would be my choice if
I held a hand such as:
K x kA x x lx x 'A K 10 x x x;
if partner's hearts were, say, Q-x, I
would prefer that he be declarer if we
played at notrump.
Over 2k, partner bids 2NT. In some
partnerships, he would have a heart
stopper to bid notrump because I
might have had to improvise a force
by bidding 2k with nothing in hearts
at all.
But in my opinion, North should
assume I have hearts and bid 2NT if
that is his most descriptive call. If I
had some reason for creating a force
by bidding a non-suit, I would let him
know at my next turn.
Next, I bid 3'. After my 2k, he
should treat this call as forcing. He
raises to 4', and I am encouraged
enough to cuebid 4k. North then
jumps to 6', passed out.
West considers and leads a trump.
Pass
BY FRANK STEWART
frs1016@centurylink.net
 A Q 6 4 2
k J 6
l A J 6 4
' Q 9
 5 3
k A K 4 2
l 3
' A K J 10 8 7
West North East
1 Pass
Pass 2l Pass
Pass 2NT
Pass
Pass 4' Pass
South
2'
2k
3'
4k
Pass 6' All Pass
We had a good auction, but it
seems to have directed a killing lead.
Without that trump lead, I could have
ruffed two hearts in dummy, but now
I have only 11 sure tricks.
At trick two I try a spade to dummy's
queen, and East produces the
king. Now I'm in seriously hot water;
but East ponders and at length shifts
to ... the lK. I think I understand the
intent behind that move: East sees
that spades are breaking 3-3, and he
wants to kill dummy's entry.
I take the lA and still see a chance.
I ruff a diamond, cash the kA K, ruff
a heart, ruff another diamond and
run the trumps. The position as I lead
my last trump is:
(See hand at the top of next column)
West must save his lQ; I discard
dummy's lJ. East must save his kQ.
Nobody can keep two spades, so the
mighty 6 wins the 13th trick. The full
deal:
 J 9 8
k 9 7 5
l Q 10 8 7 5
' 5 4
 J 9
k -
l Q
' -
 5
k 4
l -
' 10
 A Q 6 4 2
k J 6
l A J 6 4
' Q 9
 K 10 7
k Q 10 8 3
l K 9 2
' 6 3 2
 5 3
k A K 4 2
l 3
' A K J 10 8 7
At the other table, North-South
also got to 6'. I was never apprised
of the auction, but West for my team
found the same trump lead. There,
South embarked on a line of play
perhaps better than mine. He took
the lA, ruffed a diamond, cashed the
kA K, ruffed a heart in dummy and
ruffed a diamond.
West still had the lQ to beat
dummy's jack, but declarer ran all
his trumps. At the end, East had to
reduce to the kQ and K 10, and
South judged well to exit with his last
heart, obliging East to lead a spade
into the A-Q.
Making six. It was a right honorable
push.
64 | Bridge Bulletin | October 2022
 A 6
k -
l J
' -
 10 7
k Q
l -
' -
October 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of October 2022
