Bridge

By Frank Stewart
Sunday, November 23, 2008

We've all been declarer at a thin contract and were a favorite to fall through the ice.

When today's West opened one diamond, many Norths would have chosen a 1NT overcall. After North and East passed and South balanced with one spade, North cue-bid to show strength, and South liked his distribution enough to issue an encouraging jump.

North was venturing onto thin ice when he bid six spades -- I'd have wanted better spade support -- but there was nothing wrong with the slam that a nine of trumps in the North-South hands wouldn't have cured. After South took dummy's ace of diamonds, he led the jack of trumps, hoping East would fail to cover if he held Q-x-x. But East covered, and South lost two trump tricks to West's A-9-4.

"Unmakable," South shrugged.

When you're on thin ice, you may as well dance. South can make the slam if he assumes that East-West have a precise distribution. South plays low from dummy on the first diamond and ruffs in his hand. He leads a heart to the ten, cashes the A-Q of clubs, ruffs a diamond, takes the king of clubs, leads a heart to the queen, ruffs a diamond, leads a heart to the ace and ruffs a diamond.

At the 11th trick, South is left with the jack of clubs and K-10 of trumps, and dummy has the ace of diamonds and J-7 of trumps. West still has his three trumps, and East has Q-8 of trumps and a club. South then leads the jack of clubs.

Whatever the defenders do, they get only one trick.

West dealer

Neither side vulnerable

NORTH

S J 7

H A Q 10 2

D A 8 6 4 3

C A Q

WEST

S A 9 4

H K 8 4

D K Q J 9

C 9 6 2

EAST

S Q 8

H 7 5 3

D 10 7 5 2

C 10 7 5 3

SOUTH

S K 10 6 5 3 2

H J 9 6

D None

C K J 8 4

West North East South

1 D Pass Pass 1 S

Pass 2 D Pass 3 S

Pass 6 S All Pass

Opening lead -- D K

2008 Tribune Media Services, Inc.