North-South vulnerable. North deals.

October 28, 2008 at 12:00a.m.

NORTH

xA K J 3

uQ 9 8 5

vK J 9 3

WEST EAST

xQ 7 6 4 x10 8 5 2

u10 7 6 4 3 uVoid

vA 5 vQ 10 8 6 4

w6 4 wQ J 10 2

SOUTH

uA K J 2

v7 2

wA K 9 8 5 3

The bidding:

NORTH EAST SOUTH WEST

1v Pass 2w Pass

2v Pass 2u Pass

3u Pass 4NT Pass

5v Pass 6u Pass

Pass Pass

Opening lead: Ace of v

For Trump Coup Tommy, the focus of his visit to the ACBL Summer North American Championships was the Spingold Knockout Team Championship. This deal is from his first-round and, incidentally, last-round match in that event, since his team failed to survive.

The bidding was a typical Tommy five-card major auction. Once the heart fit was located, Tommy launched into Blackwood and, on learning an ace was missing, settled in a small slam.

West cashed his ace of diamonds and shifted to the seven of spades, taken with the king. Before touching trumps, Tommy played off the ace and king of clubs and ruffed a club safely when West discarded a diamond. The ace of spades was cashed for a diamond discard and a spade was ruffed low.

By now Tommy had a good count of the hand. West had probably started with four spades and all five missing trumps together with two cards in each minor. Tommy could afford to ruff clubs since East could not overruff, while trumping dummy’s losers with his high trumps. In all, he scored eight trump tricks and two in each black suit.

At the other table West led a spade. Declarer won with the king and led a trump, and the bad break meant he could not make 12 tricks.

2008 Tribune Media Services