Wild And Optimistic Punt

Pages: Page 3 of 6

Dealer: West
Vuln: Game All
Scoring: Pairs
  1. spadeK
  2. heartA 10 6 4
  3. diamondA K Q 8 3
  4. club9 8 3
  1. spadeQ 8 5 3
  2. heartJ 8
  3. diamondJ 9 7 6 2
  4. club10 2
Green square in centre
  1. spade10 9 6 2
  2. heartQ 7 3
  3. diamond10 5 4
  4. clubJ 6 5

Contract: 7NT
Declarer: South
Lead: diamond6
  1. spadeA J 7 4
  2. heartK 9 5 2
  3. diamond—
  4. clubA K Q 7 4
West North East South
Pass 1diamond Pass 2club
Pass 2heart Pass 5NT^
Pass 6heart~ Pass 7NT**
Pass Pass Pass

^Grand Slam Force for heart
~Axxx or Kxxx
**Very optimistic punt

Disregarding the remote possibility of a doubleton heartQJ, declarer needed the clubs to yield 5 tricks. Together with two spades, two hearts, and three diamonds, there were 12 top tricks in all, so the other would have come from an unlikely drop of the spadeQ, or a squeeze. Declarer began by leading the club9 from dummy to his Ace. When West proved not to have a singleton honour, he cashed another club before crossing to the spadeK, on which West played the eight and East the ten (denying the Jack). After three more club winners, West was in trouble ……..

The end position in the next frame shows West about to play to the seventh trick.
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