bridge

bridge

Both vulnerable. South deals.

NORTH

xA K Q

u10 8 7

vQ 4

w6 5 4 3 2

WEST EAST

x5 4 3 2 xJ 7 6

u2 u6 5 4 3

vJ 8 7 6 vK 10 5

wK Q 10 9 wJ 8 7

SOUTH

x10 9 8

uA K Q J 9

vA 9 3 2

wA

The bidding:

SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST

1u Pass 2w Pass

2v Pass 2u Pass

3w Pass 3x Pass

4NT Pass 5v Pass

6u Pass Pass Pass

Opening lead: Two of u

Trump Coup Tommy was down on his luck. Trumps were breaking well and, with no chance to demonstrate his peculiar talent, he had been butchering many contracts. Then this deal came along and allowed a glimpse of a different Tommy — allowing the defenders to score a trump trick against declarer’s 150 honors in the combined holding!

It did not take Tommy and his partner long to reach an odds-on slam in hearts — a couple of cue-bids were all Tommy needed to get there. On any plain-suit lead six hearts is easy— Tommy simply ruffs his losing diamonds in dummy.

The opening lead of a singleton trump, rarely a good idea, especially against a slam, put paid to that plan. If declarer surrendered a diamond, East would remove another of dummy’s trumps. Taking a different tack, Tommy won in hand with a trump honor, cashed the ace of clubs and crossed to the table with a spade.

A club was ruffed high, and the table’s spades provided entries to two more clubs ruffed high, establishing a long club in dummy. When the nine of trumps fetched a spade discard from West, Tommy sat up and began to take notice. He finished matters off at a brisk pace.

The nine of hearts was overtaken with the ten and two more trumps were drawn, leaving East with the only trump in the game. Declarer had 10 tricks in the bank and, when the good club was led, East was forced to ruff. Now a diamond away from the king allowed Tommy to play low from hand and collect the last two tricks with dummy’s queen of diamonds and the ace in hand.

2012 Tribune Media Services