Source:IBPAColumn Service MAY 2021Tim Bourke**Source: wikipedia:Tim Bourke “is an Australian bridge player and writer. His joint project with Justin Corfield “the Art of Declarer Play” won the International Bridge Press Book of the Year award in 2014.IMPs Dealer South. Both Vul
J 9 8 2
K 7 5 3
A 7 2
Q 6
A K Q 10 4 3
2
K Q 4 3
A 9
West
North
East
South
1
Pass
31
Pass
4NT2
Pass
53
Pass
6
Pass
Pass
Pass
Limit raise with four or more spades
RKCB
1 or 4 key cards
West led the Q, advertising that East held the ace of hearts; declarer played low from dummy. West continued with the jack of hearts and declarer played low from dummy a second time.
After ruffing in with the ace of trumps, declarer led his ten of trumps to dummy’s jack to lead dummy’s seven of hearts, in the hope that East had begun with ace-third of hearts. When East followed with a low heart declarer ruffed with the king of trumps. As the ace of hearts had not appeared, declarer had only ten tricks. It appeared that he needed diamonds to be three-three so that he could discard a club from dummy on the thirteenth diamond (his eleventh tricks) and eventually ruff a club in dummy for his contract.
However, this declarer was not content to rely on just that rather poor option. Instead, he looked for a way to improve his chances over the three-three break in diamonds. Putting his plan into action, declarer crossed to dummy with a low trump to the eight to lead the king of hearts. When East produced the ace of hearts, declarer ruffed this with his queen of trumps, bringing his total sure tricks to eleven.
Declarer cashed the ace of clubs in hand before crossing to dummy with his last trump to the nine. Finally, he played the two of trumps and threw the nine of clubs from hand. West could see that parting with the king of clubs would be fatal, and so threw a diamond. As the king of clubs had not appeared, declarer cashed the ace, king and queen of diamonds and the the four of diamonds was the twelfth trick.
The complete deal:
J 9 8 2
K 7 5 3
A 7 2
Q 6
