Goren Bridge
Bob Jones
| Dlr: North | ♠ A 9 6 4 2 | |||||||||||||
| Vul: None | ♥ A | |||||||||||||
| ♦ 7 6 | ||||||||||||||
| ♣ Q J 8 3 2 | ||||||||||||||
| ♠ J 10 8 5 | ♠ K 3 | |||||||||||||
| ♥ Q J 2 | ♥ 10 9 7 4 3 | |||||||||||||
| ♦ A 4 3 2 | ♦ K 10 8 5 | |||||||||||||
| ♣ 9 5 | ♣ K 6 | |||||||||||||
| ♠ Q 7 | ||||||||||||||
| ♥ K 8 6 5 | ||||||||||||||
| ♦ Q J 9 | ||||||||||||||
| ♣ A 10 7 4 | ||||||||||||||
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Opening lead: ♥Q
Today’s deal is from a junior competition in Amsterdam earlier this year. South was Robert Khomiakov from Belgium. North-South reached a thin game contract, which seemed to have only eight tricks, even with the club finesse working. An extra trick will sometimes develop during the play.
Declarer won the opening lead in dummy, perforce, and successfully ran the ♣Q. A low club went to the king and ace, and South overtook the 10 of clubs with dummy’s jack to lead a diamond to the queen and ace. West continued with the♥J, ducked by declarer, and then a third heart to the nine and king. South led his ♣7 to dummy’s eight, leaving this:
| Dlr: North | ♠ A 9 6 | |
| Vul: None | ♥ — | |
| ♦ 7 | ||
| ♣ 3 | ||
| ♠ J 10 8 5 | ♠ K 3 | |
| ♥ — | ♥ 10 7 | |
| ♦ 4 | ♦ K | |
| ♣ — | ♣ — | |
| ♠ Q 7 | ||
| ♥ 8 | ||
| ♦ J 9 | ||
| ♣ — |
Dummy’s ♣3 was led and East couldn’t defend the position. Should he shed a heart, he would be end-played with a diamond. Discarding the ♦K was out of the question, so he did the best he could and parted with his low spade. Young Mr. Khomiakov read the position perfectly and cashed the ♠A. The fall of the king made his ♠Q the ninth trick. Well played!