Bridge
THE Scottish Youngsters (Under20s) at the European Junior Championships finished 15th out of 18 teams, but they benefited from the experience, and we can hope for better things in two years' time. The team was Yvonne and Ralph Wiseman: Stuart Bradnam and Stephen Rose; and Abigail Wilson and Stewart Pinkerton, captained by David McCrossan.
North had a difficult call on this deal. He is not quite worth a bid over the weak jump overcall, but when partner re-opens with a double he is too strong for a minimum response, and 4D may not be what partner wants to hear. Playing five-card majors, 4H looks the most likely game.
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Hide AdWest led king of clubs and East overtook. He returned ten of clubs and West dropped the four, a suit preference signal for diamonds. East gave him a ruff, but no entry for the second ruff that beats the game.
It is an almost impossible defence to find, but suppose West leads the four of clubs initially. That is clearly not fourth highest, and partner should interpret it as a request to lead a diamond.
If East plays the ace and returns his smallest diamond partner can rule out an entry spades, and might try another low club in the hope that partner can ruff, or has the ten after all. He will look silly if declarer wins a surprise trick with the ten of clubs, but an embarrassing overtrick is a small price to pay for the chance of defeating a vulnerable game