Andrew's Bridge Corner

Bridge Problem 28

Who is to blame?

South/N-S

K J
5 3
A K J 2
9 8 7 6 4

9 7 6 3
------
10 5 4
A K Q J 10 2

N

W E

S

A 10 8 5 4 2
J 10 4 2
Q 9 3
-----

Q
A K Q 9 8 7 6
8 7 6
5 3

South	West	North	East
3	4	4	Dbl
Pass	Pass	Pass

Opening lead

K
Follow the bidding and play of this hand. Then decide who erred the most.

East-West can make 4

but no one can be blamed for not reaching that contract. It would not be right to make a take-out double with the West hand. Nor can East bid spades, for if partner has no fit, there could easily be a correction to 5

and the penalty doubles would start.
High-level pre-empts often make life difficult for the opponents! However, East was at fault when doubling 4

.
West cashed the ace and king of clubs, on which East discarded two diamonds. West shifted to a spade, East took the ace and returned the suit, declarer pitching a diamond. A low heart was led from dummy and, when East produced the two, declarer finessed the six. When that held declarer drew trumps and claimed the rest of the tricks.
West made a mistake at trick three. After winning the first two tricks, West should have continued with a third club, allowing East to get rid of the remaining diamond. That would have deprived declarer of a diamond entry to dummy. A diamond shift would als have worked!
East, too, could have defeated four hearts by returning the queen of diamonds after winning the ace of spades.
Who gets the major blame? For solution go to the bottom of the page [IMAGE]

Solution:

It may be a close call but West is the more likely culprit.

Back to the problem at the top of the page

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