Bridge

No-trump contracts are relatively straightforward because there is no danger of losing a ruff. How would you tackle this one?

West's sequence showed 25-26 high card points. East had enough for slam, so bid 5NT, forcing, in case there was a 4-4 club fit. West should bid suits upwards over that, and when he showed diamonds East decided not to introduce his poor hearts and settled in 6NT. North led the jack of spades. How would you plan the play?

You have eleven top tricks, but the club suit is blocked so there is only one real entry to dummy, the king of diamonds. At the table West reckoned that he could establish a twelfth trick in diamonds even if the suit broke 4-2. He won the spade lead, unblocked his club honours, then played ace and king of diamonds to reach dummy. Things looked promising when everybody followed. He cashed dummy's clubs, noting that North showed out on the third round, discarding a heart and a spade. Declarer returned to hand with a spade to play the queen of diamonds, hoping that if anyone had four it would be North. But North threw a second spade and the contract could no longer be made, since South had a club to cash when he won his diamond. Dummy of course had spotted a better line. Can you see what it was?

When a trick must be lost it is best to lose it early, while you still have control of all the other suits. After unblocking the clubs declarer should duck a diamond in both hands. He can win any return, cross to the king of diamonds and cash the remaining clubs, discarding hearts. All he needs is for diamonds to break no worse than 4-2, in either hand. If the diamonds were arranged differently it might be more obvious to duck the first round – somehow it feels wrong to duck from Kx.