Teams: Dealer South; All Vulnerables
 K 7 6 4 2 5  10 7 6 3  8 5 4 |
||
| 10 9 8 3 K J 8 2 K J 4 7 3 |
5 Q 9 7 6 4 9 8 2 A 9 6 2 |
|
| A Q J A 10 3 A Q 5 K Q J 10 |
La Subasta:
|
Oeste |
Norte |
Este |
Sur |
|
2 |
|||
| Pass |
2 |
Pass |
2NT |
| Pass | 3 |
Pass |
3 |
| Pass | 3NT |
Pass |
4 |
| End |
Contract: 4
Lead: 3
West led a passive trump. Declarer cashed his trump honours, noting the 4-1 break. He saw that it would be fatal to cash the ace of hearts and ruff a heart in order to draw West’s last trump; most of the time, the defenders would come in with the ace of clubs and cash three heart tricks.
After some thought, declarer decided to rely on the diamond finesse for his contract and so played on clubs.
West signalled his doubleton and was given a club ruff on the third round of the suit with the nine
of clubs. West exited with a heart and declarer had to lose two diamond tricks.
Declarer complained about his bad luck but dummy was, as ever, unsympathetic. “At trick four, just play a low heart. Say East wins and plays a diamond, you play low from hand and West wins the trick with the jack.
A heart exit is as good as anything and you would ruff, draw the last trump, throwing the queen of diamonds from hand, and then play on clubs. All the defence would make is a trick in each of the side suits.”