Source: IBPA Bulletin Sep 2017 Dealer South. Neither Vul
A 8 5 J 9 6 4 K 7 5 A 10 5
J 9 6 2 7 3 10 8 3 K J 8 2 Q 10 7 K 5 2 A Q 9 4 2 9 7
K 4 3 A Q 10 8 J 6 Q 6 4 3
West North East South
1NT
Pass 2 Pass 2
Pass 4 Pass Pass
Pass
After a weak notrump opening, this was the auction at one table from Round 9. West led a low trump and dummy’s nine of hearts held the trick. When declarer played a low diamond from dummy at trick two, East rose with the queen and shifted to a spade. Declarer took this in hand with the king to play the jack of diamonds. East won the trick with the ace and continued with the queen of spades. After winning the trick in dummy with the ace, declarer called for the king of diamonds to get rid of his remaining spade. Now his entry position forced him to turn his attention to the club suit by leading dummy’s five of clubs to his queen. West took this with the king and played the jack of spades. Declarer ruffed this with the ten then led a low club to West’s two and dummy’s ten, which held. All that remained was to lead a trump to East’s five and his queen. After cashing the ace of trumps to draw East’s last trump, declarer claimed the last two tricks as dummy was now high. Note that declarer managed to play both minor suits optimally for a total of three tricks. (As a bit of journalistic licence, I moved the ace of diamonds from West to East. – T.B.)

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