North-South vulnerable. South deals.

North-South vulnerable. South deals.

NORTH

xK 7

uA 10 6 4 3

v3 2

wK 8 6 2

WEST EAST

xJ 9 6 3 x10 8 5 4

uQ J 2 uK 8 7 5

vK 9 8 5 4 vJ 10

w4 wJ 10 7

SOUTH

xA Q 2

u9

vA Q 7 6

wA Q 9 5 3

The bidding:

SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST

1w Pass 1u Pass

2v Pass 3w Pass

3NT Pass 4w Pass

6w Pass Pass Pass

Opening lead: Queen of u

Winners of the Robert Nail Life Master Pairs at the recent ACBL Fall North American Championships in Boston were Ralph Katz, of Hinsdale, Ill., and Nikolay Demirev of Arlington Hts., Ill. They had a comfortable lead at the end of the first of two final sessions, thanks to hands like the above.

South’s reverse bid of two diamonds was forcing as was North’s preference to three clubs, and four clubs showed interest in slam — you don’t run from game to a minor-suit partial with a bad hand. South’s three aces were enough to make him accept.

West led the queen of hearts, taken with the ace. Katz ruffed a heart, cashed the ace and king of clubs and ruffed another heart. The king of spades was the entry to dummy to ruff another heart with the queen of clubs.

That set up East’s jack of clubs, but that was the only trick for the defense. The ace and queen of spades were cashed for a diamond discard and a diamond was ruffed on the table. East overruffed but dummy scored the last two tricks with a trump and a good heart.

Bidding and making the slam was worth 80 of the 90 matchpoints available on the board.

2009 Tribune Media Services