“Want a remarkable hand from yesterday?” Normally I am too busy at work to discuss bridge hands on the phone, but I needed a break, so I allowed my friend to continue, and so he did:
“Lead problem. Your hand: 
Q 10 8 4 
A 9 4 
Q 9 3 
J 7 6
| West | North | East | South |
| 1 |
Pass | 3 |
|
| Pass | 3NT | Pass | 6 |
| All Pass |
Your lead!”
I followed the advice from a former editor of our magazine, the Leo Pedersen rule: “If you have an ace against a small slam, cash it. Otherwise you may not get it at all, maybe partner has the king of the suit, or maybe dummy will show you how to defeat the slam.” (Later on the rule has been extended: “If you have two aces against a small slam …” ).
“Ace of hearts”, I said.
“All right”, accepted my friend on the ‘phone. Now dummy is tabled:
| A K J 7 5 Q 8 7 3 J 7 6 9 |
||
| Q 10 8 4 A 9 4 Q 9 3 J 7 6 |
Low from dummy, jack from your partner (reverse signals) and king from declarer. Your next move?”
I asked for a review of the bidding, and suddenly I had the clue. Of course! South didn’t use Blackwood, so obviously he had started with something like: – K A K x (x) A K Q x x x x x (x)
Now, if I played a spade, a heart or a diamond, declarer would win in dummy and get rid of his diamond losers. Agree? “I play a club”, I said and had difficulties hiding that I was a little proud of myself.
“WHAT CLUB?” my friend shouted and laughed – and I was caught. Satisfied with my solution I didn’t realize that it was only a half one. In this case the jack of clubs was the right answer. If I had found this diabolic play I would have been the today’s hero. My friend gave me the distribution of the 52 cards:
| A K J 7 5 Q 8 7 3 J 7 6 9 |
||
| Q 10 8 4 A 9 4 Q 9 3 J 7 6 |
9 6 3 2 J 10 6 5 2 8 4 2 2 |
|
| K A K 10 5 A K Q 10 8 5 4 3 |
After my friend had hung up. I thought an inspired South might have dropped the heart king, holding:
– K x x A K A K 10 8 5 4 3 2
The switch to J, felling East’s bare queen, would indeed be a “killing defense”; in this case meaning that my partner will kill me.