East-West vulnerable. West deals.

September 10, 2008 at 12:00a.m.

NORTH

xJ 9 8

uQ J 6 5 2

vK 6 4 3

WEST EAST

x4 3 x10 7 6 5

uK 10 4 3 uA 8 7

v10 5 vQ 9 2

wQ 10 7 6 2 wJ 9 8

SOUTH

xA K Q 2

vA J 8 7

wA 5 4 3

The bidding:

WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH

Pass Pass Pass 1v

Pass 1u Pass 1x

Pass 3v Pass 4w

Pass 4v Pass 4x

Pass 5w Pass 6v

Pass Pass Pass

Opening lead: Ten of v

Every card has a story to tell. Read it, and you can often make your life at the table uneventful.

Once diamonds became the agreed trump suit, a cue-bidding sequence led to a fair slam. The key bid was North’s five clubs.

At both tables in an international team match a diamond contract was reached. At both, the opening lead was a trump. At one table, declarer played low and won with the jack, but could only muster 11 tricks.

Here, declarer realized that West would not be leading from the queen of trumps and won the first trick with dummy’s king. He cashed the king of clubs, came to hand by finessing the jack of trumps, ruffed a club on the table and returned to hand with the ace of spades for another club ruff. Declarer returned to hand with the king of spades, drew the last trump, led a spade to the jack, conceded a heart and claimed the rest of the tricks with a trump, the queen of spades and the ace of clubs.

2008 Tribune Media Services