| Dlr: East | ♠ K 10 9 5 3 | |
| Vul: Both | ♥ A 5 | |
| ♦ 7 4 3 | ||
| ♣ 7 4 3 | ||
| ♠ A Q J 2 | ||
| ♥ K J 2 | ||
| ♦ K 10 6 2 | ||
| ♣ A 8 |
| West | North | East | South |
| Pass | 1♣ (1) | ||
| 1♥ | Dbl(2) | Pass | 3♦(3) |
| Pass | 4♥(4) | Pass | 4♠ |
| All Pass |
(1) 2+ clubs; includes all balanced 12-14/18-19 hands
(2) 4+ spades; transfer if opener is 12-14 balanced
(3) 4-card spade raise, 18-19 balanced
(4) Re-transfer
This deal and the next two Hands of the Week come from the 43rd World Bridge Team Championships in Lyon, France, in 2017.
This was from Round 7 and, most of the time, North declared 4♠ on the lead of the ♥10. The above auction is from the England-USA Venice Cup match, with Sally Brock of England as South and Fiona Brown as North. Sylvia Shi and Beth Palmer of the USA sat West and East respectively. Put yourself in South’s place. How will you get to 10 tricks after West leads the ♣Q?
Solution
After the ♣Q lead, declarer was given a chance to show some good technique when East followed with an encouraging ♣5. South played the ♣8 from hand, won the club continuation with the ace, cashed the ♠A and led the ♠2 to dummy’s 10. After both defenders had followed to the trumps, declarer ruffed the ♣7. Next, she played the ♥2 to the ace and a heart back to her king. Declarer planned to ruff the ♥J in dummy if West followed low, but she took another course when West played the ♥Q. Instead of ruffing, declarer discarded a diamond from dummy. This endplayed West, who then cashed the ♦A. East does better to play the ♣K at trick one. Declarer wins with the ace and draws trumps, ending in dummy, and leads a low club. East rises with the 10 and plays a diamond to declarer’s 10 and West’s queen. After ruffing the club exit, declarer cashes the ♥A and ♥K, then ruffs the ♥J in dummy. Now she plays a diamond to the king and ace but West is endplayed: on the return of a club or heart, declarer throws dummy’s last diamond loser and ruffs in hand. The full deal:
| Dlr: East | ♠ K 10 9 5 3 | |
| Vul: Both | ♥ A 5 | |
| ♦ 7 4 3 | ||
| ♣ 7 4 3 | ||
| ♠ 8 6 | ♠ 7 4 | |
| ♥ Q 8 7 6 4 | ♥ 10 9 3 | |
| ♦ A Q | ♦ J 9 8 5 | |
| ♣ Q J 9 2 | ♣ K 10 6 5 | |
| ♠ A Q J 2 | ||
| ♥ K J 2 | ||
| ♦ K 10 6 2 | ||
| ♣ A 8 |