North-South vulnerable. North deals.

North-South vulnerable. North deals.

NORTH

xA 10 6 5

uA Q 6 4

v10 8

wJ 10 5

WEST EAST

xJ 2 xQ 9 8 7

u8 7 uJ 10 3 2

vK J 7 6 4 v9 5 3

wK Q 9 7 w6 4

SOUTH

xK 4 3

uK 9 5

vA Q 2

wA 8 3 2

The bidding:

NORTH EAST SOUTH WEST

1NT Pass 2w Pass

2v Pass 3NT Pass

Pass Pass

Opening lead: Six of v

Here’s a deal from a match in the Australian Team Championship, originally reported by Ron Klinger. The final contract was reached via a Stayman sequence where South denied possession of a four-card major.

West cannot be faulted for his diamond lead, won in dummy with the ten, bringing declarer’s total to eight tricks. The jack of clubs was run to West’s queen, and the defender was beginning to run out of safe exit cards. He tried the eight of hearts. Declarer won with the king and cashed the ace and queen of the suit, West discarding a spade.

Declarer reverted to clubs, running the ten. West won and exited with the jack of spades. All that was left was a mop-up operation. Declarer won with the king and cashed the ace, forcing a diamond discard from West. Next came the ace of clubs and another, throwing West on lead for a forced diamond return into the ace-queen — three no trump bid and made.

2008 Tribune Media Services