NEIL HAYWARD BRIDGE
NORTH ♠8
♥ AT 8 3 ♦ AT 8 5 ♣ AQJ 5
WEST EAST ♠5 ♠ J 9 6 3 ♥ Q76 ♥ J 9 2
♦ K Q J 3 2 ♦ 9 7 6 ♣ T863 ♣ 9 7 2 SOUTH
♠ AK QT 7 4 2
♥ K 5 4
♦4
♣ K 4
Contract: 7♠ by South
Opening Lead: ♦K. How do you plan to make 13 tricks?
Recommended Line: The hand looks easy. You seem to have an overtrick! Which is why you should ask: what could go wrong? The answer is that trumps might break 4-1. If this should be the case, East must be the one with four trumps. Since it is ridiculous to lead the ♠8 to your ♠T, you must have a conjurer’s trick up your sleeve if East holds ♠ Jxxx. In this case, you need to ruff three times to reduce your trump length to match East’s. Be sure to start the process at trick two. Ruff a diamond. Cash two top trumps to see how the spades lie. You discover they are 4-1, but that is no problem. Cross to the ♣J to ruff another diamond.
Then overtake the ♣K, cash the ♣Q and ruff the fourth diamond. Trump parity has been achieved. Now you cash the ♥K and ♥A. At this point, you and East both hold two trumps, so, at trick 12, East must ruff, and you over-ruff. The fatuous dream of 14 tricks has been thwarted, but it could have been a nightmare. You have pulled off a trump coup. But keep that under your hat.