Bridge - The Scotsman 17/07/2012

Another slam from the European Championships. At first glance this appears to depend on a 3-3 spade break, but Deep Finesse makes it even when spades break badly. On a club lead declarer might duck the first round, then win the club continuation. Before running winners, declarer should cash his other top club, discarding a diamond from dummy. North shows out, discarding a red card since he must keep four spades. Now declarer cashes four hearts, discarding two diamonds from hand to reach the position opposite.

North discards a second diamond on the last heart. By now it is clear that he is keeping four spades, so declarer discards a spade and South throws a diamond. Three rounds of spades complete the non-simultaneous double squeeze: to keep his club winner South must throw a diamond, and now dummy’s two diamonds are winners. A diamond switch at trick two breaks up the double squeeze, but does not defeat the slam. If North switches to a low diamond, declarer wins South’s queen with the ace and cashes two clubs before playing hearts to expose North to a spade-diamond squeeze; if he switches to the king declarer wins and cashes major suit winners, ending in dummy, to squeeze South in diamonds and clubs.