BRIDGE

Both vulnerable. South deals.
NORTH
x K 10 8 7 4
u A K 9
v A 4 2
w 6 3
WEST EAST
x 5 x 9 6
u 8 6 u J 10 5 2
v K J 8 5 3 v 10 6
w K Q J 10 5 w 9 8 7 4 2
SOUTH
x A Q J 3 2
u Q 7 4 3
v Q 9 7
w A
The bidding:
SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST
1x 2 NT 3v 5w
Pass Pass 5u Pass
6x Pass Pass Pass
Opening lead: King of w
The Unusual No Trump, designed to suggest a distributional hand, is a two-edged sword. It can either produce enough information for profitable competition or draw a picture of the hand for a perceptive declarer.
Many theorists believe the convention should be used on only two types of holdings: Hands with so little defense that you want to sacrifice rather than defend and all those where you are strong enough to have a chance to buy the contract. With hands that fall in-between, you do better to simply overcall without painting such a clear picture of your holding. This deal is a sound argument in favor of their case.
West's two no trump was "unusual," showing at least five cards in each minor. North's three diamonds was intended as a cue-bid agreeing spades as trumps. East tried to muddy the waters by preempting with five clubs, but North continued his aggressive stance with five hearts, promising first-round control and trying for a spade slam. South accepted with alacrity.
West led the king of clubs. Without the knowledge that West held at least 10 cards in the minors and that suits were not breaking, South would probably have relied on a 3-3 heart break or, if hearts broke badly, finding the king of diamonds with East so that the queen would be the 12th trick. Unlucky.
Since neither chance was likely in view of the auction, declarer chose a different tack. After winning the first trick with the ace of clubs, declarer drew trumps with the ace and king, then ruffed the table's club in hand. Next came three rounds of hearts ending in dummy and, when West showed out on the third, declarer could virtually claim the slam.
A low diamond was led and, when East followed low, the nine was inserted. West won with the jack, but was embarrassed for a continuation. A club return would allow declarer to ruff in one hand while discarding a diamond from the other, and a diamond would be away from the king up to the queen. Either way, South would lose only one diamond trick, fulfilling the slam.
& copy; 2004, Tribune Media Services