When
dummy appeared, South berated North for
missing a reasonable slam, but when the deal
was over there was no doubt about who was
responsible for going down in game. Despite
South's tirade, North's bidding was
sensible. His 2NT denied positive values,
but then he supported hearts and cue-bid his
A.
He signed off in 4
because the
Q
was of dubious value opposite South's likely
shortness.
South deals East-West vulnerable
West |
North |
East |
South |
|
|
|
2 |
Pass |
2NT |
Pass |
3 |
Pass |
3 |
Pass |
3 |
Pass |
4 |
Pass |
4 |
Pass |
4 |
end |
|
Opening Lead:
5
West wisely started with the
5,
leading from length rather than shortage
because his long trump holding suggested
forcing out declarer's trumps rather than
seeking ruffs himself. East put in the
10
and South ruffed, drew three rounds of
trumps, and found he could no longer make 4.
He played ace-king of clubs but West ruffed
and continued diamonds, forcing out South's
last trump. Declarer could take only his top
tricks, going down one.
North, to his credit, did not say a word, maintaining his self-control.
Declarer too should have been concerned with
maintaining control . . . of the trump suit.
When East shows out on the second trump, declarer should turn to clubs,
playing king, then low toward the ace. West
correctly discards, but he must ruff the
third club (the queen) or else declarer will
ruff a fourth club in dummy, depriving the
defenders of their club trick. When West
ruffs, however, he has no effective play. If
he leads his last trump to stop the club
ruff, South concedes a club to establish his
long card while he has a trump to control
the diamonds. He loses only one spade, one
heart, and one club.
It is worse for West to ruff the third club and play a diamond. South
ruffs and plays a fourth club and will make
an overtrick: if West does not ruff he will
lose his second trump trick, but if he ruffs
declarer will discard a spade from dummy on
the long club and later ruff his third spade.
It was declarer's third round of trumps that killed his gentle 4
contract. Slam indeed. North's raised
eyebrow said it all