NEA Bridge: Is it seven tricks or twelve in slam

At the Cardiff Bridge Club in South Wales, they keep a book of memorable deals. Most of them feature blunders by the top players. Even I am in the book. Once, when I was only 16 years old, an "expert" doubled me in a slam because he held two aces. I was void in one of those suits and made my contract. The doubler's friends thought this was extremely funny and relished adding the deal to the book.

Today's deal would have been included too, except that it was played in Corpus Christi, Texas.

North and South were Canadians David and Evelyn Kirsh. David made a cautious pass on the first round. Evelyn knew her husband was short in spades, so she decided to sacrifice in five of a minor. Her four-no-trump bid showed long diamonds and a side four-card suit. North should have bid five diamonds, but he optimistically hoped his partner's side suit was hearts. They ended up in six diamonds doubled.

Against a sacrifice, a trump lead is usually best. It would have been here too, resulting in down five! But West couldn't resist leading the spade ace. Then he switched to his trump, which certainly wasn't best now. (A low-club shift still leads to down five.)

Declarer won in hand, ruffed a spade in the dummy and led the heart king, ruffing East's ace. Back to dummy with a spade ruff, Evelyn started playing dummy's hearts from the top, West having obligingly dropped the eight and 10. When West couldn't ruff the third heart, declarer discarded all four of her club losers. Some "sacrifice" — six diamonds doubled and made missing three aces!