Bridge Impossible contract?

Nothing is impossible, except maybe getting your name removed from a mailing list. Do you think South’s contract of four hearts in today’s deal was impossible?

When South jumped to three hearts over East’s opening bid of one spade, not every North would have raised. South was vulnerable, hence he was supposed to have about seven winners. But nowadays, players preempt fearlessly (more like recklessly), and though North had three sure tricks, he might have given South some room to operate.

West led the jack of spades. South took the ace and led a trump, and East won and led the queen of diamonds. Declarer was dismayed when his king lost to West. West then cashed his ten of diamonds and led a third diamond. South ruffed, drew trumps and took dummy’s A-K of clubs, hoping for a miracle. There was none, and he lost a club at the end. Down one.

“East opened the bidding,” South grumbled. “If he has the ace of diamonds, I’m home.”

After the defense forced declarer to ruff a diamond, four hearts was more than possible. South can cash all but one of his trumps. With four tricks to go, dummy has the Q-6 of spades and A-K of clubs, and South has a trump and his three clubs. If East saves one spade and three clubs, South leads a club to dummy and ruffs a spade, and dummy is high. If East keeps two spades and two clubs, South takes the A-K of clubs, and his hand is high.

Actually, the contract is impossible. If the defenders lead a club at some point, they remove a vital entry to dummy, and the “trump squeeze” will not function.