BRIDGE

BRIDGE

East-West vulnerable, South deals.

NORTH

xK 10 9 7

u10 9 3

vA 10 9 2

w6 4

WEST EAST

x4 x6 5 3 2

uK 8 6 4 u5

vK Q J 8 5 4 v7 6 3

wQ 9 wJ 10 8 7 3

SOUTH

xA Q J 8

uA Q J 7 2

vVoid

wA K 5 2

The bidding:

SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST

1u 2v 2u Pass

2x Pass 3x Pass

4w Pass 4v Pass

6x All pass

Opening lead: King of v

Some readers might want to open the South hand with two clubs, but that is almost never the right bid with a three-suited hand. Every expert we know, playing a standard system, would open the South hand one heart. South showed his power later by aggressively driving to slam after a simple raise and level-headed co-operation after that by North.

South saw right away that the slam would be a cakewalk should the trumps split 3-2, so he gave some thought to what he might do if East had four spades and West had four hearts to the king. This was unlikely, but possible, so why not cater to it if he could.

South played low from dummy on the opening diamond lead and ruffed in hand with the jack of spades. He led a low spade to dummy’s 10 and ruffed another diamond, this time with the ace of spades. Declarer overtook his queen of spades with dummy’s king and drew all of the outstanding trumps, shedding two low clubs from his hand, leaving no trumps in his hand or the dummy.

South now took the losing heart finesse, but this was no problem thanks to his foresight in leaving the ace of diamonds in dummy. South had the rest and scored up his difficult slam. Well done!

2016 Tribune Content Agency