Bridge

Published on Friday 6 November 2009 18:16

INTERMEDIATE cards, eights, nines and tens, are often overlooked, but they can be very significant. Do not lose sight of them when declaring a tricky contract.

Over partner's weak no-trump South made a weak jump overcall and you mentioned your hearts. When partner raised you were seduced by your high card points into bidding slam. North leads the ten of clubs, strongly suggesting that he has no diamond to lead. How would you play this hand?

There are11 tricks, and at first glance your best chance of a twelfth comes from a 3-3 spade break, but there is no rush to tackle spades. You start to draw trump, and South shows out on the first round, discarding four diamonds. After drawing trump you cash two more clubs, noting that South follows. If he has eight diamonds and three clubs he cannot also have three spades. Can you see any way to make the slam when South has one or two spades?

That nine of spades could be useful: if North had a QJ10 he might have led one instead of the club. Cash the ace of spades. If South follows low you need him to have started with Qx or Jx or 10x. Play a second spade, and if North follows with the last low card insert the nine. When South wins he is endplayed: with nothing left but diamonds he must lead away from his king. If South drops an honour on the first round you can play low to the nine – if South has two honours doubleton the endplay works, and if he has a singleton the nine will score. If North inserts the ten or jack you can duck; either South must overtake, or he shows out, in which case you have a marked finesse against the remaining honour.

North may try to thwart you by playing the queen of spades, a Crocodile Coup to prevent the endplay. If he does you simply duck. When the jack appears from South you can finesse the nine of spades for your twelfth trick.