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 5v Pass

7NT Pass Pass Pass

Opening lead: Jack of x

It is easy to get careless when a contract looks laydown. But beware of the perils lurking in the shoals of distribution.

Once the club fit was located and North showed the diamond “fit,” South wasted no time in trotting out Roman Key-Card Blackwood. When that accounted for all three missing aces, South contracted for the grand slam in notrump.

West led the jack of spades, and it seemed that the grand slam depended on no more than a 3-3 heart split or the jack dropping or being finessable, or a fourth trick materializing in clubs. Careful timing allowed declarer to cope with the actual lie of the cards.

Declarer won the first trick in dummy and cashed three high hearts, discovering the bad news in that suit. Rather than going after clubs next, declarer set about learning more about the hand. The king and queen of spades were played off, declarer sluffing a club from the table, and East’s second diamond discard meant that West had started with ten major-suit cards. Next declarer obtained an almost-complete count of the hand by cashing the ace and king of diamonds.

When West followed to both these tricks, the defender had room for only one club. The rest was easy. After crossing to the ace of clubs, declarer led the ten from dummy for the proven finesse. The king of clubs was cleared, and the carefully preserved queen of diamonds was the entry to the board to cash the club for the 13th trick.

2012 Tribune Media Services