BRIDGE

BRIDGE

Neither vulnerable, North deals

NORTH

xQ J 10 9

uA Q J 4 2

vA Q

w10 3

WEST EAST

xK 8 5 3 2 xA 7 6 4

u8 6 uK 10 7 5 3

v9 8 5 3 vK

w7 5 wQ 8 4

SOUTH

xVoid

u9

vJ 10 7 6 4 2

wA K J 9 6 2

The bidding:

NORTH EAST SOUTH WEST

1u Pass 2v Pass

2x Pass 3w Pass

3NT Pass 4w Pass

6v All pass

Opening lead: Three of x

North’s leap to slam was a little bold. South wasn’t thinking about slam, he just didn’t want to play in no trump with his freakish hand. All would be well if South could find a road to 12 tricks. Sadly for him, East was the great British player, Tony Forrester.

South ruffed the opening spade lead and cashed the ace and king of clubs. His plan was to ruff a third club with dummy’s queen of diamonds, then cash the ace of diamonds. He would ruff his way back to his hand and lead the jack of diamonds. This plan would succeed on any 3-2 split in the diamond suit, as well as some 4-1 splits.

Declarer’s line of play was destined to succeed on this lie of the cards, but something magical happened for the defense. Forrester smoothly dropped the queen of clubs under the king! This changed everything. All the clubs were high, so South only needed to hold his trump losers to one. All would have been well if declarer had played the ace and queen of trumps, but that would have lost if West held the doubleton king. West could then give East a club ruff, or so declarer thought.

South elected to lead a trump to dummy’s queen. Disaster! East won and led another spade. South ruffed and led a trump to dummy’s ace. When he ruffed his way back to his hand, he lost all trump control and ended up down four. Lovely play!

Tribune Content Agency