Bridge - The Scotsman 16/08/2012

Apart from teams from the USA, there will also be strength in depth from the Far East at the World Bridge Olympiad. This beautifully played deal was written up by Australia’s Ron Klinger, who sat West against Yoshiyuki Nakamura of Japan. When he saw dummy he was confident of beating the slam with a trump trick and the king of hearts.

He led the seven of diamonds, taken by South’s king. Declarer drew one round of trump by running the jack of spades, then cashed his top clubs before playing a second spade to the queen, noting that East showed out. He ruffed a club, felling East’s queen, then played a third round of spades to reach this position:

Declarer cashed the jack of clubs, and played ace and queen of diamonds, discarding three hearts. West might ruff the queen of diamonds, but then must lead a heart into the ace-queen. Klinger discarded a heart, but this did not save him. Declarer played the fourth diamond from dummy and ruffed it to effect the endplay. If West overruffs he is endplayed as before; if he discards declarer cashes the ace of hearts for his twelfth trick.