BRIDGE

BRIDGE

North-South vulnerable, North deals

NORTH

xA 7

uK Q J 6 4

vK

wA J 8 4 3

WEST EAST

xQ 10 8 3 x9 6 5

uA 10 5 3 u9 8 7 2

vVoid vJ 9 5 2

wK Q 6 5 2 w10 7

SOUTH

xK J 4 2

uVoid

vA Q 10 8 7 6 4 3

w9

The bidding:

NORTH EAST SOUTH WEST

1u Pass 2v Pass

3w Pass 3x Pass

4w Pass 4v Pass

5v Pass 6v All pass

Opening lead: King of w

This is an excellent slam, needing only a 2-2 or 3-1 split in trumps. There are other chances as well, as South proved in the play of this deal.

Declarer won the opening club lead with dummy’s ace, ruffed a club, and led a trump to dummy’s king. Had both opponents followed suit, South would have taken the ruffing finesse in hearts. This would produce an overtrick whenever East held the ace of hearts. The terrible trump split made South reconsider. He ruffed another club and played the ace, queen, and then a low trump to East. A spade shift would have defeated the contract but East led a heart, of course, hoping to beat the slam right there. South ruffed and cashed all of his remaining trumps. This was the position with one trump to go:

NORTH

xA 7

uK

vVoid

wJ 8

WEST EAST

xQ 10 8 x9 6 5

uA u9 8

vVoid vVoid

wQ wVoid

SOUTH

xK J 4 2

uVoid

v3

wVoid

West was in trouble on the last trump. A club discard would make dummy’s clubs good and a spade discard would make declarer’s spades good. He discarded the ace of hearts as dummy shed a club, but he had no good discard when South crossed to the ace of spades and cashed the king of hearts. A lovely hand.

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