GOREN ON BRIDGE

Our thanks to the great English player, Andrew Robson, for bringing this deal to our attention. We don’t know what North was smoking when he bid five hearts, but he earned himself a citation for

BUI — Bidding Under the Influence. The five-heart bid asked South to go on if he held a diamond control, and South was happy to bid slam — at least until he saw the dummy.

There were only 10 top tricks and South had plenty of work to do. He won the opening club lead with dummy’s ace and ruffed a club with the ace of hearts. He cashed the king of hearts and led a low heart to dummy’s nine. He ruffed another club, this time with the jack of hearts, and crossed back to dummy with a high spade to ruff dummy’s last club.

The 4-4 club split improved his chances.

He again crossed to dummy with a spade and then drew the last outstanding trump with dummy’s queen, shedding the low diamond from his hand. He now led dummy’s remaining spade. He was hoping that the suit split 3-3 or that East started with four spades. His luck was in, as East won with the queen and had to give South the lead. The jack of spades was the twelfth trick.

Beautifully done! North was last seen in the bar, bragging about his fiveheart bid.