bridge

bridge

Both vulnerable. South deals.

NORTH

xA 7

uQ 8 4

vA Q 2

wA Q 10 9 3

WEST EAST

xJ 10 9 6 4 3 x8 2

uJ 9 7 3 u6 5

v5 3 vJ 9 8 7 6

w2 wJ 8 7 5

SOUTH

xK Q 5

uA K 10 2

vK 10 4

wK 6 4

The bidding:

SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST

1v Pass 3w Pass

4w Pass 4v Pass

4NT Pass 5x Pass

7NT Pass Pass Pass

Opening lead: Jack of x

It is easy to get careless when a contract seems to be laydown. But beware of the shoals of distribution lying in wait for the unwary.

Once the club fit was located and North cue-bid the ace of diamonds, obviously looking for more than a small slam, South wasted no time in trotting out Blackwood. With all the aces and kings accounted for and facing long cards in clubs, South contracted for the no-trump grand slam.

West led the jack of spades and, with 12 fast ticks available. either a 3-3 heart break or a fourth trick from clubs would provide declarer’s 13th trick. As the cards lie, it required careful timing to assure the slam.

Declarer won the opening spade lead in dummy and cashed the three high hearts, discovering the 4-2 split with West holding the length and East discarding a diamond. Rather than start on clubs immediately, declarer continued by clearing the king and queen of spades, and East discarded a second diamond. Next came the king and ace of diamonds and, when West followed to both, the count was complete — West had started with either 6-4-2-1 or 6-4-3-0, and so East had to have at least four clubs.

The rest was easy. A club to the ace fetched a low club from West, so East held the knave. The ten of clubs was led and East did not cover. Declarer continued by cashing the king, then returned to the table with the carefully preserved queen of diamonds to cash the queen of clubs for the fulfilling trick.

SCrt 2010 Tribune Media Services

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