bridge

bridge

North-South vulnerable. North deals.

NORTH

x3

uA Q 8 5 3

vA Q 8

wJ 9 8 4

WEST EAST

x7 6 4 xK Q J 10 9

uJ 10 6 4 u2

vJ 9 7 6 3 vK 10 5 2

w5 wA 10 7

SOUTH

xA 8 5 2

uK 9 7

v4

wK Q 6 3 2

The bidding:

NORTH EAST SOUTH WEST

1u 1x 2x 3x

Pass Pass 4w Pass

4v Pass 4u Pass

6w Dbl Pass Pass

Pass

Opening lead: Seven of x

With all four players holding freakish hands, it did not take long for the bidding to reach for the sky. Two red-suit cue-bids by North-South brought the bidding up to the six-club level, and East expressed his doubts about the contract being makeable.

West led the seven of spades, won with the ace. Declarer led the king of trumps, losing to the ace, and the defender persisted with a spade, ruffed in dummy. Two more rounds of clubs extracted the defenders’ teeth. The king of hearts was followed by the nine, which declarer let ride and the slam was home.

How did declarer know to take the finesse? Declarer placed East with five spades for his overcall, and had shown up with three clubs and a heart. The likely diamond break was 5-4, so hearts proved to be 4-1. That left room for four hearts with West, hence the finesse. Well counted!

2012 Tribune Media Services