BRIDGE

BRIDGE

Both vulnerable, South deals

NORTH

xQ J 9 4

uA K 6

vA 4 3

wK 5 2

WEST EAST

x7 6 x10 8

u9 8 2 uQ 10 4 3

vQ J 8 7 2 v6 5

w10 4 3 wQ 9 8 7 6

SOUTH

xA K 5 3 2

uJ 7 5

vK 10 9

wA J

The bidding:

SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST

1NT Pass 4NT Pass

6x All pass

Opening lead: Six of x

South’s six spade bid accepted the slam invitation and offered spades as an alternative to no trump. This showed five spades, of course, as North had shown no interest in a four-card spade suit when he didn’t use Stayman. North, with his completely balanced hand and no prospect of ruffing anything, might well have reverted to no trump despite four-card spade support. The only realistic chance for 12 tricks in a no trump contract would be the club finesse. That play would succeed and this deal would never have found its way into a bridge column.

The play in six spades offered other options -- options that were superior to the simple club finesse. South won the opening trump lead with the ace and led a spade to dummy’s queen to finish drawing trumps. He eliminated the clubs from both hands by cashing the ace and king and then ruffing the third round. He continued with the ace, king, and a third heart to East’s queen. This eliminated the hearts from both hands and forced the defender with the queen of hearts to lead a diamond or yield a ruff-sluff. This was a good plan and would have succeeded had the diamond honors been split or if the defender who won the queen of hearts held both diamond honors. This was a good line of play, but it failed on this lie of the cards. Bad luck!

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