bridge

bridge

Both vulnerable. South deals.

NORTH

xQ J 10 9

uK Q J 2

vA K 5 3

w4

WEST EAST

x8 6 4 3 x5

u8 4 u10 9 6 5

v10 6 vQ 9 8 4 2

wK 10 8 5 3 wQ 9 6

SOUTH

xA K 7 2

uA 7 3

vJ 7

wA J 7 2

The bidding:

SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST

1NT Pass 2w Pass

2x Pass 4w Pass

4u Pass 4NT Pass

5v Pass 7x Pass

Pass Pass

Opening lead: Three of x

North-South bid well to reach the grand slam in spades. Declarer’s technique was almost equal to the task of bringing home the most exciting contract in bridge.

North’s jump to four clubs was a splinter bid, showing shortness in the suit. After South cue-bid hearts, North launched into key-card Blackwood, where the king of trumps counts as an ace. South’s response showed four key cards, and North needed to hear no more to contract for all the tricks.

After a trump lead declarer had only 11 fast tricks, but two more could be developed with ruffs. The table’s high trumps suggested a dummy reversal, so declarer won the opening trump lead on the table, cashed the ace-king of diamonds and ruffed a diamond high as West discarded a heart. The seven of spades was overtaken in dummy, and the table’s last diamond was ruffed with the trump ace as West let go another heart.

Since declarer could not afford to get to the table with a club ruff, the only way back to draw the outstanding trumps was via a heart. Unfortunately West ruffed — down one.

The key to a successful dummy reversal is to cash your side-suit winners before embarking on the crossruff. Look how easy the hand becomes if, after ruffing the first diamond, declarer gets to the table with a heart to ruff another diamond high. Now declarer can lead his remaining trump to dummy, draw the outstanding trumps and claim 13 tricks!

2011 Tribune Media Services