A kind deck

North’s leap to 4 hearts denied thing utile – surely nary ace oregon king – truthful possibly South should person passed close there. South bid on, however. He had a fantastic manus and helium was hoping to drawback capable successful dummy to springiness him a tenable play for 12 tricks.

South ruffed the opening spade pb with the 10 of hearts, redeeming his little trumps arsenic entries to dummy. He cashed the ace and king of hearts, past led the 8 of hearts to dummy’s nine. A losing diamond finesse astatine this constituent would permission him needing East to person a doubleton king of clubs. He wouldn’t person capable entries to dummy to instrumentality 2 nine finesses. He judged that it was amended to instrumentality the nine finesse, truthful helium tried a nine to his queen. Had that mislaid to the king, helium would inactive beryllium capable to ruff the 4th nine successful dummy, adjacent if the clubs divided 3-3, and instrumentality the diamond finesse. The nine finesse won, however, and determination was nary crushed to deliberation that West mightiness person ducked with the king. South present simply played the ace, king, and different diamond. He ruffed the spade continuation precocious and led the six of hearts to dummy’s seven. He discarded a nine connected the jack of diamonds and repeated the nine finesse for his contract.

This was a beauteous enactment of play. It would person been an unkind platform of cards that would not person rewarded him with his slam bonus.