Source:IBPAColumn Service NOV 2022Tim 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
A 9 5 2
K 8 3
9 5 3
K 8 6
4
A Q 7 5 4 2
A K 2
A Q 5
West
North
East
South
1
1
2
Pass
4NT
Pass
5
Pass
6
Pass
Pass
Pass
North’s cue-bid of two spades promised a limit-raise-or-better in hearts. South checked for key-cards with 4NT and, when North admitted to two of them, bid the slam.
West led the king of spades. Declarer had 12 sure tricks if trumps were three-one or two-two. There was still a chance if they were four-zero with East, and that was to make all the low trumps in hand by ruffing spades. Since entries were short, declarer won the first trick with the ace of spades and ruffed a spade.
Next, declarer cashed the ace of trumps, noting that the suit was indeed four-zero. After cashing his queen of trumps, declarer took his non-trump winners to reduce the chance of their being ruffed if East had only two spades, finishing with a club to the king. When East followed to the next spade, declarer ruffed it and led a trump to dummy’s king for his eleventh trick.
Declarer remained with the seven of trumps and a diamond while East had the jack of hearts and a diamond. Declarer led dummy’s nine of spades. East was fixed: if he discarded his diamond, declarer would make the seven of trumps for his twelfth trick. In practice, East ruffed the spade and declarer threw his diamond loser, making his remaining card, a trump, for his contract.
Note that, on the above layout, if declarer fails to ruff a spade at trick two, the defenders will eventually make two tricks, a trump and a diamond.
The complete deal:
A 9 5 2
K 8 3
9 5 3
K 8 6
