East-West vulnerable. South deals.

East-West vulnerable. South deals.

NORTH

xK Q J 10 5

u6

v10 9 5

wJ 10 9 4

WEST EAST

xVoid xA 9 6

u10 9 8 uK 7 5 3 2

vA Q 8 7 6 4 3 2 vJ

wK 7 w8 6 3 2

SOUTH

x8 7 4 3 2

uA Q J 4

vK

wA Q 5

The bidding:

SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST

1x 4v 4x Pass

Pass Pass

Opening lead: Ace of v

West, defending against four spades, made a well-reasoned defensive play. It succeeded, but not in the way the defender expected.

North-South would have done well to double four diamonds. Even with a spade lead, West could not take more than nine tricks. However, for North to double with his support for partner’s suit would have been insanity.

West led the ace of diamonds, fetching the five, jack and king from the other hands. Now it looked to West that declarer could set up a diamond trick later in the play by running the ten from the table and discarding a loser from hand, in the process establishing dummy’s nine. However, that was a trick declarer did not need. After drawing trumps and cashing the ace of hearts, declarer could ruff two hearts on the table and discard one on the long club. So not even a heart finesse was needed to land the contract.

Blissfully unaware of the actual layout, West continued with a diamond, and great was the reward for that. East ruffed with the nine of trumps and South could not overruff! The defenders still had to collect the ace of trumps and king of clubs for a surprising one-trick set.

2009 Tribune Media Services