A kind deck

North’s jump to four hearts denied anything useful - certainly no ace or king - so perhaps South should have passed right there. South bid on, however. He had a wonderful hand and he was hoping to catch enough in dummy to give him a reasonable play for 12 tricks. South ruffed the opening spade lead with the 10 of hearts, saving his lower trumps as entries to dummy. He cashed the ace and king of hearts, then led the eight of hearts to dummy’s nine. A losing diamond finesse at this point would leave him needing East to have a doubleton king of clubs. He wouldn’t have enough entries to dummy to take two club finesses. He judged that it was better to take the club finesse, so he tried a club to his queen. Had that lost to the king, he would still be able to ruff the fourth club in dummy, even if the clubs split 3-3, and take the diamond finesse. The club finesse won, however, and there was no reason to think that West might have ducked with the king. South now simply played the ace, king, and another diamond. He ruffed the spade continuation high and led the six of hearts to dummy’s seven. He discarded a club on the jack of diamonds and repeated the club finesse for his contract. This was a lovely line of play. It would have been an unkind deck of cards that would not have rewarded him with his slam bonus. Published - December 26, 2025 06:04 pm IST

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