Tournament Play
by Julian Pottage

Please look at the play question below and give your answer. Assume teams (IMPs) or rubber scoring.

There are three categories in our competition: (i) up to and including Master; (ii) up to and including Regional Master; (iii) higher ranking.

	10 4 K J 6 2 Q J 8 Q 10 6 2
	A K A 9 A K 5 2 8 7 5 4 3

West	North	East	South
			1
Pass	1	Pass	2
Pass	3	Pass	3NT

West leads the six of spades (second or fourth highest). How do you plan to make nine tricks?

Entries to this email please and they need to arrive by 15 January 2012. In the email header, please state the category you wish to enter and your postal address. Julian Pottage will judge the entries and the first drawn answer in each category that he judges as correct will win a prize.

Winners will receive yet more exciting bridge books from the EBU shop!

Answer to Tournament Focus VII Play Quiz

	Q 5 K 8 3 K J 7 3 A J 10 4
A K J 8 4 3 7 9 6 2 9 6 3		10 2 J 10 9 Q 10 8 5 4 K 8 2
	9 7 6 A Q 6 5 4 2 A Q 7 5

You play in 4 after West opened 2 (weak).

West leads the ace, king and a third spade (East playing high-low).

If East has three trumps and a doubleton spade -- as appears to be the case -- you cannot avoid losing either a trump trick or an overruff. Since the bidding and play to date makes it almost certain that East holds the king of clubs, you will surely need either an endplay or a squeeze. The endplay is the better bet by far.

You ruff the third heart high and cash two top trumps. When West shows out on the second round, you cash the ace of diamonds and exit with a trump. East's forced return into one of dummy's tenaces takes care of your club loser.

The winners are:

Open: Mike Eden, London
Regional: AR Kaye, Harpenden
Master: Simon Antony, Sheffield