BRIDGE
BRIDGE
North-South vulnerable, South deals
NORTH
x6 5
uK Q J 10 2
v7 5 2
w5 4 2
WEST EAST
xVoid x9 8 7 3 2
u7 5 uA 9 8 4
vQ J 10 9 8 4 v3
wQ J 10 9 6 w8 7 3
SOUTH
xA K Q J 10 4
u6 3
vA K 6
wA K
The bidding:
SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST
2w 2NT- 3u Pass
4NT Pass 5w Pass
6x All pass
-Both minors, at least 5-5
Opening lead: Queen of v
West’s bid was an attempt to find a fit that would enable his side to take a cheap sacrifice against his vulnerable opponents. Many tournament players would have done the same thing, but bids like this can backfire when they don’t discover a good fit.
South needed little encouragement to move toward slam. He only used Blackwood in case there might be a grand slam in the offing. He gave up on that when North denied an ace. South won the opening diamond lead in his hand with the ace and took a moment to plan his play. He started with the ace of spades and went back to the drawing board when West showed out.
South’s imagination came up with a line of play that would succeed as long as East held no more than two diamonds and three clubs -- virtually certain after West’s bid. He drew all five of East’s trumps, careful to keep all of dummy’s clubs. South then cashed the ace and king of clubs before leading a heart to dummy’s king. East had to duck this or it would have been the end of the defense. Declarer now ruffed dummy’s remaining club and cashed the king of diamonds, in case East had a second diamond.
Finally, South led another heart to dummy’s queen. East, down to the ace-nine of hearts, had to give dummy a second heart trick. Would South have found this clairvoyant line of play without West’s bid? We don’t think so.
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