Both vulnerable. South deals.
Both vulnerable. South deals.
NORTH
xVoid
uA K 9 8 3
vA 10 4
wQ J 9 7 3
WEST EAST
xA 5 xQ 9 6 4 2
uQ 7 uJ 10 5 4 2
vQ 9 8 7 6 3 2 vK J
w6 4 w8
SOUTH
xK J 10 8 7 3
u6
v5
wA K 10 5 2
The bidding:
SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST
1x Pass 2u Pass
3w Pass 5NT Pass
7w Pass Pass Pass
Opening lead: Six of w
Here’s an opportunity for you to test your playing skill. Cover the East-West hands and decide how you would play seven clubs after the lead of a trump. Or if you prefer, treat it as a double-dummy problem and look at all four hands.
The auction is straightforward. After the club fit was uncovered, North’s jump to five no trump was the Grand Slam Force. It asked South to bid seven clubs if he held both top club honors. South was delighted to say yes.
If hearts divide 4-3, declarer can claim 13 tricks. Win the trump lead in hand, cash the ace and king of hearts and ruff a heart with the king to discover the 5-2 break, but all is not yet lost. Ruff a spade, cash the ace of diamonds and ruff a diamond and then ruff another spade to bring about this end position:
NORTH
x --
u9 8
v10
wQ J
WESTEAST
x-- xQ 9 6
u-- uJ 10
vQ 9 8 7 v--
w4 w--
SOUTH
xK J 10
u--
v--
wA 5
Now declarer leads dummy’s queen of trumps to draw the remaining trump, and East is caught. If he discards a heart, declarer plays low from hand, ruffs a heart to set up the nine and discards the table’s diamond on the king of spades. If, instead, East discards a spade, declarer overtakes the club, ruffs a spade, and scores the last three tricks with a trump and two spades. Remarkable.
2009 Tribune Media Services