North-South vulnerable. North deals.

North-South vulnerable. North deals.

NORTH

xA Q 10 7 2

u7 4

vA 10

wQ 10 9 6

WEST EAST

xJ 9 6 xK 8 5 4

uJ 10 9 8 3 2 uQ 5

v7 6 v8 5 4 2

w5 2 wK J 3

SOUTH

x3

uA K 6

vK Q J 9 3

wA 8 7 4

The bidding:

NORTH EAST SOUTH WEST

1x Pass 2v Pass

2x Pass 3w Pass

4w Pass 4u Pass

4x Pass 4NT Pass

5x Pass 6w Pass

Pass Pass

Opening lead: Jack of u

There is more than one way for a defender to conceal the distribution from declarer. This deal from a team match is a case in point.

Both teams reached the club slam on similar auctions. Four no trump was key-card Blackwood in which the king of trumps counts as a fifth ace. North’s five-spade response showed two aces and the queen of trumps.

Both Wests led the jack of hearts, taken with the king. Obviously, the trump suit presented the only problem. Before tackling trumps, however, both declarers cashed the ace of hearts and ruffed a heart with the nine of clubs.

At one table, East discarded a diamond instead of overruffing! Convinced that West held the K J of clubs, declarer cashed the ace of clubs, and East had two trump tricks to defeat the slam. Note that had East overruffed with the jack, declarer would eventually have taken a finesse for the king of trumps to land the slam.

At the other table East overruffed — but not with the jack. Instead, he won the trick by overruffing with the king! Sure that West held the jack, declarer won the diamond return in dummy, came to hand with the ace of clubs and took the “marked” finesse of the ten of clubs. Down one. No swing.

2009 Tribune Media Services