 A 2
 Q 5 4
 A Q 7 6 3
 A 10 2 |
| Q 10 8 6 5 4 3
3
2
K 7 6 4 |
| West | North | East | South |
| Pass | Pass | Pass | 3 |
| Pass | 4 |
Pass | Pass |
| Pass |
Q, which pleased declarer, because if it was from a sequence he would take at least three club tricks. On this assumption, declarer saw that all he needed to do was hold his trump losers to one.
So, after winning the opening lead in hand with the king of clubs, declarer led a low trump to dummy’s ace. When East followed with the king of trumps it appeared that he now had ten tricks – six trumps, a diamond and three clubs. Declarer was about to play a second trump when a thought struck him: “What if West had led from club shortage?
Declarer saw that one play was to lead dummy’s two of trumps to his queen and then take the diamond finesse. This would succeed if West began with either the jack of clubs or the king of diamonds. Declarer was about to put that plan into effect when he saw that there was a line that guaranteed the contract if the king of trumps was a true card.
At trick three, declarer called for a low heart from dummy. East won the trick with the ten of hearts and continued with the ace of hearts. Declarer ruffed and led a low club from hand. As he could not profitably ruff this, West discarded a diamond. Dummy’s ace of clubs won the trick (as it would if West had followed with a low club). Declarer was now in control: he exited with the ten of clubs to East’s jack. East could do no better than play a heart. Declarer ruffed and led his last club: he lost only a trump, a heart and a club.
The complete deal:
| A 2
Q 5 4
A Q 7 6 3
A 10 2 |
||
| J 9 7
K 9 8 7 6 2
10 5 4
Q |
K
A J 10
K J 9 8
J 9 8 5 3 |
|
| Q 10 8 6 5 4 3
3
2
K 7 6 4 |
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