Variations on a theme

by Barry Rigal

This deal from the fourth round of the Bermuda Bowl qualifying match between China and Canada produced an interesting ending. Boris Baran and Allan Graves for Canadaopposed Zhong Fu and Jie Zhao.

Board 13. Dealer North. All Vul.
	♠ A 10 5 ♥ Q 6 5 ♦ A J 10 2 ♣ Q 10 5
♠ 9 ♥ A 10 9 3 ♦ K 9 6 ♣ K J 8 4 3		♠ K 4 2 ♥ K ♦ Q 8 7 3 ♣ A 9 7 6 2
	♠ Q J 8 7 6 3 ♥ J 8 7 4 2 ♦ 5 4 ♣ –

West	North	East	South
Baran	Fu	Graves	Zhao
	1♣	Pass	1♠
Dble	Rdbl	Pass	2♠
Pass	Pass	3♣	3♥
Pass	3♠	All Pass

Baran started with a low club to the ten and ace, ruffed by declarer. The ♠Q went to East's king. Graves got out with the ♦7, to the four, king and ace. (Double-dummy, returninganother suit also defeats the contract.) Now Zhao played a spade to his jack and another spade to the ace. When declarer led a low heart from dummy, Graves played the king, perforce, leaving this position:

	♠ – ♥ Q 6 ♦ J 10 2 ♣ Q 5
♠ – ♥ A 10 9 ♦ 9 6 ♣ K J		♠ – ♥ – ♦ Q 8 3 ♣ 9 7 6 2
	♠ 8 7 ♥ J 8 7 4 ♦ 5 ♣ –

The defense at that point had only two tricks, so if Graves played the ♦Q, the only other trick for East/West would be the ♥A. Graves therefore exited with a club, and Zhao played well by discarding his diamond. Now Baran won the ♣K and cashed his ♥A. That was it for the defense.

It seems that Baran might do better by playing the ♥10 from hand, but Zhao has a counter to that move. He wins with the ♥Q in dummy and plays the ♦J, discarding a heart from hand when Graves plays the queen. Now Graves must play a minor suit to dummy, and Zhao's other two losing hearts go away. If Zhao ruffs out the ♦Q he goes down.