BRIDGE

February 19, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

North-South vulnerable. North deals.

NORTH

x9 3

uA K 8 5 2

vQ J 9 8 4

WEST EAST

xJ 8 4 x5

u7 6 uQ J 10 4 3

vK 10 6 v7 3 2

wK Q 6 3 2 w10 9 8 7

SOUTH

xA K Q 10 7 6 2

vA 5

wJ 5 4

The bidding:

NORTH EAST SOUTH WEST

1u Pass 4NT Pass

5w Pass 5NT Pass

6w Pass 7x Pass

Pass Pass

Opening lead: King of w

Here’s another deal from the Edgar Kaplan Blue Ribbon Pairs at the recent ACBL Fall North American Championships, held in San Diego, Calif. What are the chances of South going down in seven spades after the opening lead of the king of clubs?

South wasted no time in getting to the grand slam once North opened the bidding. Four no trump was key-card Blackwood (the agreed trump suit is, ostensibly, hearts), five clubs showed three key cards. South checked for kings (North denied any) and South nevertheless decided to contract for the grand slam.

The much-denigrated opening lead of a trump would have worked well here, but it is difficult to fault West for trying to set up a club trick by leading the king. Now the slam could be made by ruffing two clubs in dummy.

Declarer won the opening lead perforce in dummy, cashed the ace and king of hearts, sluffing a diamond, crossed to hand with the ace of diamonds and ruffed a club. Now declarer returned to hand with a diamond ruff, on which West dropped the king of diamonds!

Declarer ruffed his remaining club with dummy’s last trump and, mindful of West’s play of the king of diamonds, tried to return to hand with a heart ruff — down one, as West overruffed. In a strange way, equity had been restored!

SCrt 2010 Tribune Media Services