BRIDGE

BRIDGE

Both vulnerable, South deals.

NORTH

xA 5 3 2

uJ 8

v9 8 4

wA K 9 6

WEST EAST

x8 x9 6

uA 10 6 3 uK 9 4 2

vJ 7 6 5 vQ 10 3 2

w8 5 3 2 wJ 10 7

SOUTH

xK Q J 10 7 4

uQ 7 5

vA K

wQ 4

The bidding:

SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST

1x Pass 3NT- Pass

4NT Pass 5u Pass

6x All pass

-12-14 points, four-card spade support

Opening lead: Five of w

It’s a good idea to never bid Blackwood with a side suit that has two fast losers, and this deal is an example of why. South should have contented himself with a four-diamond cue bid and then passed four spades when his partner couldn’t cue bid four hearts.

The defense could have taken the first two heart tricks, but it was reasonable for West to lead a club and South had a chance. The opening lead went to the 10 and queen. As the cards lie, the jack of clubs is falling and South has four club tricks, but declarer didn’t know that. He ran off all of his trumps, leaving this position with one trump remaining:

NORTH

xVoid

uJ

v9 8 4

wA K 9

WEST EAST

xVoid xVoid

uA 10 uK 9

vJ 7 vQ 10 3

w? x x w? x

SOUTH

x7

uQ 7 5

vA K

w4

On the last trump, West shed a diamond, dummy a heart, and East the nine of hearts. Had East discarded the king of hearts, instead, this column might have had a different hero. South exited with a low heart to East’s king and East exited with a diamond. South won and cashed his other diamond, and West could not defend the position. West had to keep the ace of hearts so he discarded a low club. It no longer mattered who held the jack of clubs. South had four club tricks and his slam.

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