Goren Bridge

Big Man of the NBA

BOB JONES

Both vulnerable: West deals

NORTH ♠ A K J 10 5 ♥ Q 9 5 ♦ K Q 5 ♣ 6 4

WEST ♠ Q 4 2 ♥ J 7 6 ♦ J 10 9 7 5 ♣ Q 7 3

EAST ♠ 8 7 ♥ 10 8 4 3 2 ♦ 8 4 3 2 ♣ 10 5

SOUTH ♠ 9 6 3 ♥ A K ♦ A 6 ♣ A K J 9 8 2

The bidding: West North East South Pass Pass 1♠ 2NT Pass 3♣ Pass 4♠ All Pass

Opening lead: Ace of ♠

Today's deal is from a recent Youth competition in China. North made a slightly aggressive double, South held nothing back, and the slam was reached at many tables and many declarers went down by relying on the diamond finesse. East, the non-preemptor, was likely to have the greater length in diamonds and therefore was more likely to hold the queen. Not today. One South player, Jing Chen, found the winning line. West led the ace of clubs and continued the suit. Chen ruffed and drew trumps. He cashed the ace of diamonds and ran all his spades, discarding a diamond from dummy. To keep all his hearts, East was forced to discard his last cube and two diamonds. Chen cashed three high hearts and everyone followed suit. Who had the missing heart? If it was West, then East had three diamonds remaining and the finesse would work. If East had the last heart, then the diamonds were now 2-2 and the queen would drop. Chen decided that West might not have pre-empted if he started with four hearts to the jack-10 so he cashed his two high diamonds and made his slam. Well done!

Bob Jones welcomes readers' responses sent in care of this newspaper or to Tribune Content Agency, LLC., 16650 Westgrove Dr., Suite 175, Addison, TX 75001.