IMPs: Dealer South; E/O Vulnerable
 9 7 5 4 3 9 4  A 8 5  10 8 2 |
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| — A K 8 5 3 9 7 A K Q 6 5 3 |
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The Auction:
| West | North | East | South |
| 1 |
|||
| 1 |
Pass | 2 |
3 |
| Pass | 5 |
End |
Final Contract: 5
Lead: K
This deal cropped up in a teams match and the auction was the same at both tables, as was the lead: both West players started with the King of Spades.
The first declarer ruffed the opening lead, then cashed the A and K, followed by the A and K.
Next he led a heart from hand and ruffed it in dummy. Alas, East overruffed and this declarer still had to lose a diamond and a heart, finishing down one.
The second declarer was a little more circumspect. He counted nine top tricks and, if the hearts were 3- 3, eleven tricks would be certain.
Accordingly, he turned his mind to what he could do if hearts were 4-2. So, after ruffing the opening lead, declarer cashed the A and then played A, K and another heart.
When West followed to the third round of hearts, instead of ruffing, declarer threw a low diamond from dummy.
After winning a surprise heart trick with the seven, West shifted to a diamond. Declarer rose with the A, returned to hand with a trump and led a fourth round of hearts, on which he discarded dummy’s last diamond.
Declarer ruffed the spade continuation then ruffed his remaining diamond in dummy with the 10. After crossing back to hand with another spade ruff, declarer drew East’s last trump and claimed: he had three hearts, a diamond, a diamond ruff and six trumps for a total of eleven tricks.
For once, dummy was pleased. “Well done,” he exclaimed, rather unexpectedly
The complete deal:
| 9 7 5 4 3 9 4 A 8 5 10 8 2 |
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| A K J 10 8 J 7 6 3 Q 10 3 4 |
Q 6 2 Q 10 K J 6 4 2 J 9 7 |
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| — A K 8 5 3 9 7 A K Q 6 5 3 |