| West | North | East | South |
| 1♥ | Pass | Pass | 2♦ |
| Pass | 2♥ | Pass | 3♣ |
| Pass | 5♦ | All Pass |
Australia’s Barbara McDonald showed great technique on this deal from the World Bridge Olympiad in Istanbul. The result was a huge gain for her team in their match against Romania.
This looks like a hopeless contract, with two inevitable losers in clubs and another in spades. McDonald found a way home, however, after West gave her an opening by leading the ♥J.
McDonald (sitting South) cleared the first hurdle by ducking and winning her singleton ♥Q. Declarer drew trumps in two rounds, ending in dummy, cashed the ♥A to pitch a club, ruffed a heart, played a spade to the queen (West gives up the contract if she hops up with the ace) then a spade to the king. We could win and play a heart, but McDonald was in control.
She ruffed dummy’s last heart, ruffed her last spade, then played the ♣A and another club. West was in with nothing left but a heart and a spade. Either one allowed McDonald to pitch the club from dummy as she ruffed in hand. A club ruff in dummy was her game-going trick.
Bravo, Barbara!
The full deal: