Third time’s the charm

Today’s contract was so tough that declarer had to play it three times before he made it. (Only his first try counted.) South started off with a massive overbid, leaping to four hearts when his hand was worth at most a rebid of three hearts. North took over with Blackwood and bid slam. West led the queen of diamonds, and South’s ace won. South next drew trumps and took the A-K of spades. He hoped for a 3-2 break, but when West discarded, dummy lacked the entries to use the long spades; South took only 11 tricks. “There must be a way to make that,” South muttered. Offered a re-try, he led a club to dummy’s king at the second trick, and East took the ace and led a trump. Declarer won in his hand, went to the queen of clubs and threw a club on the king of diamonds. He ruffed a diamond and ruffed his last club in dummy, but then he was stuck there. He had to try the A-K of spades, and West ruffed. Let’s give declarer one more chance. Let him lead a spade to dummy at Trick Two, discard his other low spade on the king of diamonds and ruff a spade. When West discards, South takes the A-10 of trumps, counting on a 3-2 trump break. He ruffs a second spade, draws trumps and leads a club. He can reach dummy with a high club to take the good spades. South’s second attempt might have worked. He could have ruffed(!) the king of diamonds, ruffed a club, ruffed a diamond and cashed all his trumps. The last trump would squeeze East in spades and clubs. A spade opening lead will always defeat six hearts.