Source: IBPA Column Service Sep 2018
Dealer South. Both Vul
K 6 4
7 2
9 7 4
A K 7 4 2
Q J 9
Q J 10
K 10 3 2
J 9 5
10 2
K 9 8 5 3
Q 8
Q 10 6 3
A 8 7 5 3
A 6 4
A J 6 5
8
West
North
East
South
1
Pass
1NT1
Pass
2
Pass
3
Pass
4
Pass
Pass
Pass
Forcing
After the forcing-notrump response, North’s jumprebid of 3 promised a limit raise in spades with three-card support. South was happy to bid the game.
Tim Bourke
West led the Q and declarer paused to consider how he might make ten tricks. Clearly, he needed trumps to be 3-2. If North held the ten of diamonds instead of the seven or four he would have relied on diamonds to make an extra trick.
However, the actual suit offered only about one chance in four of being played for two tricks and one loser. So, declarer turned his attention to setting up a long club for his tenth trick, almost a three-in-five proposition. After ducking the first trick and winning the heart continuation, declarer played a club to the ace and then ruffed a club.
Next he cashed the ace of trumps and led another to the king, followed by the king of clubs, discarding a low diamond from hand. Declarer was pleased to see that the clubs were 4-3, so he ruffed a second club in hand.
A heart ruff returned him to dummy where he called for the established seven of clubs to be played, discarding a second diamond from hand. All the defenders made were a trump, a heart and a diamond. Making four spades.
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K 6 4
7 2
9 7 4
A K 7 4 2
