bridge

bridge

Neither vulnerable. North deals.

NORTH

xA 10

uK 8 6

vA 8 7

wK Q 10 7 3

WEST EAST

x4 xJ 7 6 5

uJ 10 5 2 uQ 7 4 3

vK 10 9 6 v4 2

wJ 9 8 4 w6 5 2

SOUTH

xK Q 9 8 3 2

uA 9

vQ J 5 3

wA

The bidding:

NORTH EAST SOUTH WEST

1NT Pass 3x Pass

3NT Pass 4w Pass

4x Pass 4NT Pass

6w Pass 6u Pass

6x Pass 7x Pass

Pass Pass

Opening lead; Jack of u

This deal is from a world championship match between Italy and the U.S.A., the world’s two strongest teams. At both tables the contract was a grand slam in spades, and both Wests led the jack of hearts. At both tables declarer won and cashed two top trumps, and eventually had to concede a trump trick. Could they have done better?

Trump Coup Tommy would have landed the slam. Suppose that declarer wins the heart lead in hand, cashes the ace of clubs and king of spades and crosses to dummy with ace of trumps. When the 4-1 trump split is revealed, declarer ruffs a club in hand and leads the queen of diamonds.

If West covers, declarer runs clubs from the top. East cannot afford to ruff, so declarer discards three diamonds from hand, ruffs a diamond, returns to dummy with the king of hearts and East is trapped in a trump coup — making seven-odd!

2011 Tribune Media Services