BRIDGE

BRIDGE

North-South vulnerable. West deals.

NORTH

xA 3

uK Q 6

vA Q 7 6

wA 6 5 3

WEST EAST

xVoid xJ 10 6 2

u9 5 u10 8 7 3 2

v10 8 5 4 vJ 9

wK Q J 10 9 7 4 w8 2

SOUTH

xK Q 9 8 7 5 4

uA J 4

vK 3 2

wVoid

The bidding:

WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH

3w 3NT Pass 4w

Pass 4v Pass 4NT

Pass 5w Pass 7x

Pass Pass Pass

Opening lead: King of w

Tommy had been going through a lean spell at the club. Trumps were breaking with monotonous regularity and those hands that required a modicum of technique were too much for Tommy. As our readers are aware, Tommy was an amiable bumbler who, as if by magic turned into a wizard of dummy play when he encountered a bad trump division. He did not even bother to count this deal as an example of his peculiar talent.

A recent convert to Roman Key-Card Blackwood, Tommy started off with a cue-bid of the enemy suit, then trotted out his new weapon on the second round. On learning that North held three aces, Tommy bid the grand slam in spades.

The opening lead of the king of clubs was won with the ace, Tommy discarding a diamond from hand. He ruffed a club at trick two, crossed to the ace of trumps and was delighted to see West discard a club. A trump from the table forced East to split the spade honors, Tommy capturing the ten with the queen.

In quick time Tommy cashed the king and ace of diamonds and ruffed the queen, as East discarded a heart. The ace of hearts was cashed and dummy was entered with the king for another diamond ruff. Now Tommy and East were both down to two trumps and a heart. A heart to the queen was the entry to the board, and a club lead enabled Tommy, who held K 8 of spades over East’s J 6, to score the last two tricks to fulfill the grand slam.

2013 Tribune Media Services