Both vulnerable. North deals.

Both vulnerable. North deals.

NORTH

xQ 6 2

uA Q 7 6 4 3

vVoid

wA J 6 4

WEST EAST

x10 xJ 8 7 5

uJ 10 9 5 2 uK 8

v10 4 2 vQ 9 8 6 5 3

w9 8 3 2 w5

SOUTH

xA K 9 4 3

uVoid

vA K J 7

wK Q 10 7

The bidding:

NORTH EAST SOUTH WEST

1u Pass 1x Pass

2u Pass 3w Pass

4v Pass 7w! Pass

Pass Pass

Opening lead: Two of v

A fun event at the ACBL Summer North American Championships was the Fast Pairs. Instead of the usual 15 minutes for two boards, only 11 minutes are allowed. Winners by a comfortable margin were Peggy Kaplan, Minnetonka, Minn., and Dick Bruno, Des Plaines, Ill. They sat North-South on this deal.

The auction had just reached the point where Kaplan had jumped to four diamonds to show a big club fit and diamond shortness when the tournament director announced “One minute. Please finish!” Bruno leapt to the grand slam.

The opening lead went to the queen and ace and a diamond was ruffed. Declarer drew all the trumps then cashed the remaining diamonds. East could discard two diamonds in comfort but the last trump forced him to discard a heart. As the cards lay, the jack of spades could be picked up with a marked finesse but, had East held the ten of spades as well, he would have been squeezed in the major suits and declarer would have made two heart tricks and 13 tricks in all.

2009 Tribune Media Services