Source: 9 – 24 June 2006; 12th WORLD BRIDGE CHAMPIONSHIPS
On this deal from the fourth qualifying session of the Open Pairs, when Paul Hackett invited game, England’s Tony Waterlow accepted the invitation – he could have held a flat 11-count
with only four spades – after which Hackett drove to the small slam. There was some work to do in the play, however.
West led the king of diamonds, ruffed in dummy, and Waterlow played ace and king of hearts, throwing a club from hand, then ruffed a heart, ruffed a diamond, came back to the ace of clubs, and ruffed the last diamond. He continued by ruffing a heart, crossing to the ace of spades, and ruffing the last heart.
Having reduced his trump holding to king-jack doubleton,Waterlow exited with the club loser and the defence had to lead into the trump tenace at trick twelve to assure the slam.
Not surprisingly, bidding and making 6
was worth a lot of matchpoints to Hackett and Waterlow.
