Both vulnerable. North deals.


March 19, 2009 at 12:00a.m.

Both vulnerable. North deals.

NORTH

x-A 7 5 3 2

u-8 7 5 4

D-A J 9 8

C-Void

WESTEAST

x-Q 10 6 4x-K J 9 8

u-10 2u-9

v-K 5v-Q 10 2

w-Q 10 7 6 4w-K 8 5 3 2

SOUTH

x-Void

u-A K Q J 6 3

v-7 6 4 3

w-A J 9

The bidding:

NORTH EAST SOUTH WEST

PassPass1uPass

4uPass5wPass

5vPass6uPass

PassPass

Opening lead: Six of w

Declarer adopted a reasonable line of play in trying for 12 tricks at six hearts. However, there was an additional line that could have been tested at no cost.

When North, a passed hand, showed a near opening bid by jumping to game, South elected to try for slam by cue-bidding five clubs. North’s response of a diamond cue-bid was enough to convince South to have a go at slam.

Declarer ruffed the club opening lead in dummy, drew trumps in two rounds then led a diamond to the eight, losing to the ten. Now there was no way to avoid losing a second diamond trick — down one.

There was no hurry to tackle diamonds. That could have been combined with a line that offered an additional 33 percent chance — a 4-4 spade break.

Winning technique is for declarer to ruff the club lead in dummy, cash the ace of spades, discarding a diamond from hand, and then ruff a spade. Next, declarer cashes one trump and, when both defenders follow, declarer can continue working on spades. A club ruff in dummy provides the entry for another spade ruff and the ace of clubs is trumped to provide the entry for a third spade ruff. When both defenders follow, declarer can draw the last trump, cross to the ace of diamonds and discard another diamond on the long spade. All declarer loses is one diamond trick.

2009 Tribune Media Services