BRIDGE

North’s five-heart bid asked South to bid a slam with a first or second-round control in the enemy suit – spades. The five-spade bid showed a first-round control and North, with excellent trumps and a source of tricks on the side, bid the grand slam.

South won the opening spade lead in handwith the ace, cashed the ace of hearts, and led a heart to dummy’s king. The 3-2 heart split made this an excellent grand slam. South drew East’s last trump with dummy’s queen and cashed three top diamonds, shedding two spades from dummy. Had the diamonds split 4-3, a diamond ruffwould establish the thirteenth trick. Diamonds split 6-1, however, and South needed an extra trick from the club suit.

Declarer cashed his king of clubs and led a club to dummy’s ace. Disaster! He could not set up a long club by ruffing and he drifted down one. Should he havemade it? Wethink so.

Westwas known to have startedwith only three red cards. He had overcalled only one spade at favorable vulnerability. Had he started with 6-2-1-4 distribution, wouldn’t every red-blooded bridge player have jumped to two spades instead of just bidding one spade?

South should have played a club to dummy’s 10, after cashing the king, and made the contract. The odds were heavily in favor of that being the winning play.