It Could Be Me Next Time

Dealer: North
Vuln: Game All
Scoring: IMPs

  1. spadeA J
  2. heartA 9 7 3
  3. diamondQ J 10 9
  4. club10 8 6
  1. spade10
  2. heartK Q J 10 6 4 2
  3. diamond8
  4. clubA K Q J
club diamond heart spade NT
N 2 3 - - 2
S 2 3 - - 2
E - - 3 - -
W - - 3 - -
Green square in centre
  1. spade9 8 7 6 5 4 2
  2. heart8
  3. diamondK 6 5 4
  4. club9

Contract: 4heartx
Declarer: West
Lead: spadeA

  1. spadeK Q 3
  2. heart5
  3. diamondA 7 3 2
  4. club7 5 4 3 2
Double dummy analyser: makeable contracts
West North East South
1diamond* Pass 3diamond
4heart Dble Pass Pass
Pass

* playing 5 card majors

We can prevent the loss of another trick AND a trump promotion by condensing them into one. Play two rounds of clubs, ruff the second in dummy and lead a spade. When South plays spadeQ we throw our losing diamond on it! South will have no more spades with which to hurt us, and our diamond loser has been successfully part-exchanged already. In theory, whatever South returns we will win, force out heartA and claim the rest. This line only fails when North starts with fewer than four clubs. So why have I included it here - North does indeed have just the three clubs. Well, when this hand was published originally the author had missed the fact that North would throw his last club on spadeQ and receive a club ruff at the next trick! Believe me, I am not laughing, for I know it could be me next time!
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