Both vulnerable. South deals.

Both vulnerable. South deals.

NORTH

x9 5 4

uK 10 9 4 3

vK 8 3

w9 6

WEST EAST

xQ J 6 3 xK 8 7

u8 2 u7 6

vQ 9 5 4 2 v10 7

wK 7 wJ 10 8 5 4 2

SOUTH

xA 10 2

uA Q J 5

vA J 6

wA Q 3

The bidding:

SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST

2NT Pass 3v Pass

4u Pass Pass Pass

Opening lead: Queen of x

This deal was sent to us by James Dahle of Elmhurst, Ill., who held the South cards. “Is there a legitimate way to make the contract without seeing all the cards? I tried both minor-suit finesses and went down one.” Yes there is, but it involves a strange-looking play in clubs.

The auction was simple and quick. South opened two no trump with his balanced 22-count, North transferred into hearts and South’s jump to four hearts, which ended the auction, showed a maximum opening bid with good heart support.

West led the queen of spades, ducked by declarer, and continued with the jack, taken by declarer, who drew two rounds of trumps and then exited with a spade to the king. East shifted to the ten of diamonds, taken by the king in dummy as declarer followed low. Declarer can now take his extra chance: he leads a club from the table and rises with the ace!

South returns to dummy with a trump to lead another club. If East rises with the king, declarer will be able to discard a diamond from dummy on the queen of clubs and make the rest of the tricks. If, as in the diagram, West has a doubleton king, he wins but is endplayed: a spade lead gives declarer a ruff-sluff and a diamond plays into declarer’s tenace. If West has another club and exits with that, declarer trumps on the table and can try the diamond finesse for the contract, but he is not successful. So, winning the first club trick with the ace costs nothing but might be the only solution, as it is here.

2008 Tribune Media Services