Both vulnerable. South deals.

Both vulnerable. South deals.

NORTH

xJ 10 9 8

uJ 10 7 4

vA 9 6 2

w10

WEST EAST

xA 7 6 2 x4

uQ 9 3 2 uA 8 6

vQ 8 v7 5 4 3

wJ 7 5 wQ 8 4 3 2

SOUTH

xK Q 5 3

uK 5

vK J 10

wA K 9 6

The bidding:

SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST

1w Pass 1v Pass

1x Pass 2x Pass

4S Pass Pass Pass

Opening lead: Two of u

Even looking at all four hands, it is not easy to see how the defense can prevail. West had to sacrifice a potential trick to emerge triumphant.

Four spades is an excellent contract reachable in a number of ways. This auction is as good as any. But for the 4-1 trump break, it would have coasted home. Good defense and less than stellar declarer play allowed East-West to be victorious. (A dummy reversal would have landed the contract.)

West led a low heart to East’s ace and a heart return was taken by the king. South led a trump to the eight, which won, and took the diamond finesse, the ten losing to West’s queen. And back came a diamond, won with the jack.

Declarer now led the king of trumps from hand, and West ducked again. On the trump continuation West rose with the ace and found the only return to beat the hand — he led the queen of hearts!

That set up dummy’s jack as a trick, but after declarer ruffed he had no way to get to the table to extract the last trump. He did the best he could by playing a diamond, but West ruffed for down one.

2009 Tribune Media Services