Contract Bridge

This deal occurred in the final of the 2001 Grand National Teams. It illustrates the type of deductive reasoning that separates the top players from the rest of the pack.

The deal is remarkable on several counts, not the least of which is that both South players, holding the A- K- Q-J-x-x-x of spades, never bid the suit! Instead, both Souths, after doubling West’s opening diamond bid, bid three notrump at their next turn.

At one of the tables, West cashed the A- K of diamonds and continued the suit, no doubt expecting to regain the lead with a heart or club before declarer could make nine tricks. This strategy backfired when declarer took the diamond queen and cashed seven spades and the ace of clubs to make the contract.

At the other table, West was

Kyle Larsen, who won his first national championship at the tender age of 18. Having listened closely to the bidding, Larsen pondered what kind of hand South could have to bid three notrump missing all the high cards Larsen was looking at.

There was only one logical explanation: South must have a solid spade suit — at least seven cards in length — plus the ace of clubs and queen of diamonds, at least twice guarded. The declarer, Jill Meyers, did not need to have the queen of clubs, but was likely to have it.

Once Larsen had credited South with this hand, the question was what he could do about it. In due course, he came up with the solution, which is not apparent even with all four hands in view.

After leading the diamond ace, he cashed the A- K of hearts. This had a devastating effect on South, who could not find a safe discard on the second heart. If she discarded a diamond, Larsen could run the suit; if she let go a club, Larsen could safely shift to that suit, leaving her with just eight tricks.

In practice, Meyers discarded a spade, whereupon Larsen played the king and another diamond and then sat back and waited to take the setting trick with the club king.