North-South vulnerable. North deals.

North-South vulnerable. North deals.

NORTH

xA K Q J 3 2

uJ 5

vA K 9

wK 8

WEST EAST

x9 5 x10 8 7 6 4

uK Q 10 9 7 u8 2

v7 4 3 v8 5

w9 5 2 wA J 10 4

SOUTH

xVoid

uA 6 4 3

vQ J 10 6 2

wQ 7 6 3

The bidding:

NORTH EAST SOUTH WEST

2w Pass 2v Pass

2x Pass 3v Pass

4v Pass 6v Pass

Pass Pass

Opening lead: King of u

Many a rose is born to blush unseen, and many a pretty play is lost because circumstances were not all that dramatic. Here’s a case in point.

North’s two clubs was an artificial game force and South’s two-diamond response was waiting. Thereafter, the auction was natural and the excellent six-diamond contract was reached in quick time. Note North’s decision to raise diamonds rather than rebid his solid six-card major — that could wait. (Only the bad trump break defeats the spade slam.)

West led the king of hearts, taken with the ace. Declarer overtook the queen of diamonds with the ace and cashed the king. Had East shown up with four trumps, declarer would have needed a 4-3 spade break to get home. Declarer would abandon trumps and simply leads spades until East ruffs. Declarer overruffs, returns to the table with the nine of trumps to discard his heart and club losers on the remaining spades and concedes a club trick. If West has four trumps, declarer takes three spade winners for heart discards, draws trumps and leads a club, hoping West holds the ace so that the king is an entry back to dummy.

When trumps broke 3-2, declarer could afford the luxury of a safety play in spades. He ruffed a spade, returned to the table with the nine of trumps, in the process drawing the last trump, and discarded three hearts and two clubs on the spades. He lost a trick only to the ace of clubs.

2009 Tribune Media Services