Goren on Bridge

Some contracts seem incredibly simple at first. Then something bad happens and that “simple” contract becomes a big problem. Experts have the useful ability of being able to take the blow and come up with a new plan.

South won the opening spade lead in dummy and took stock. Should the diamonds split 3-2, or the jack of diamonds fall singleton, there would be 12 top tricks and South could then take the club finesse for a possible overtrick. Accordingly, he started on the diamonds. The ace and the queen revealed the bad diamond split and declarer had to stop and take a new look at the hand.

The slam would still make if declarer could get three tricks from the club suit. That would be easy if the clubs split 3-2, but what if clubs were also splitting 4-1? Declarer found the perfect solution. He led a club to the ace and a low club back toward his jack. What could East do? Should he rise with the king, South would have the three club tricks that he needed. East played low and South won with his jack. It was now safe to revert to diamonds, cashing the king and giving West the fourth diamond. The long diamond in dummy was now established as the twelfth trick. Nice play!

Note that this line would still have succeeded had West held four clubs. The jack would have lost to the king, but dummy’s queennine would have brought two more tricks after the marked finesse for the 10.