North-South vulnerable. South deals.

North-South vulnerable. South deals.

NORTH

xQ 9

uA 9 5 4

vK 10 8 7 6

w10 4

WEST EAST

xJ 8 7 4 2 x10 5 3

uJ 3 2 u10 7 6

v9 4 3 v5 2

w9 2 wK 7 6 5 3

SOUTH

xA K 6

uK Q 8

vA Q J

wA Q J 8

The bidding:

SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST

4NT Pass 7NT Pass

Pass Pass

Opening lead: ?

This deal is from a team championship more than a half-century ago. Looking at all four hands, it is obvious that, with the help of a successful club finesse, declarer has 14 tricks available; or 13 tricks are there without a finesse but with four heart tricks if the suit breaks evenly. However, declarer was defeated a trick and made no error. Can you see how that could happen?

With 26 high-card points and a balanced hand, the correct opening bid was three no trump. In those days, you responded to an opening four no trump bid by raising one level for every ace, king or queen you held. By that standard, North had something to spare for bidding a grand slam.

For some reason best known to himself, West elected to lead the jack of hearts! Sure that, for the opening lead, West had to hold the ten of hearts, declarer adopted a different line of play. He won the heart opening lead in hand, cashed two spades and his remaining high heart and then ran the diamonds. Now he led his last heart and confidently finessed the nine of hearts — down one.

These days, we see this type of lead more frequently. It still works!

2008 Tribune Media Services