Source:IBPAColumn Service OCT. 2019IMPs Dealer South. E/W Vul
K 10 6 5 4
9 7 5
Q 8 6 5
K
A Q J 9 8
A K Q 3
A J 4 2
—
West
North
East
South
1
Pass
4
Pass
6
Pass
Pass
Pass
South might have opened 2, but got more valuable information from the leap to four spades over his one-level opening. South’s leap to slam at his next turn was a little agricultural, but made largely because the partnership was a casual one.
West led the Q to dummy’s king and East’s ace. Declarer ruffed, then drew three rounds of trumps with the ace, king and queen of the suit. Declarer saw that he would always make twelve tricks if hearts were 3-3 so he cashed his top hearts.
Tim Bourke
Alas, the suit proved to be 4-2, so making the contract depended on declarer playing the diamond suit for three tricks. Declarer continued by ruffing his three of hearts then leading a low diamond from dummy. When East followed with the seven of diamonds, declarer played the jack from hand.
When that held, declarer saw that he had a sure way to guarantee his contract by leading a low diamond from hand. If West followed with a low card he planned to play the queen from dummy. This would yield three tricks in the suit even if West had ducked the jack of diamonds when holding kingfourth in the suit.
On the actual layout it was West who discarded on the second diamond so declarer played low from dummy and East was endplayed when he was forced to win the trick. A diamond return would see dummy’s queen make a trick. At the table East exited with a club and declarer ruffed it in hand while he discarded a diamond from dummy.
The ace of diamonds and dummy’s remaining trump took the last two tricks: declarer made five trumps, three hearts, a heart ruff, two diamonds and a diamond ruff for a total of twelve tricks.
The complete deal:
K 10 6 5 4
9 7 5
Q 8 6 5
K
