All Out of Trumps

Goren Bridge


Bob Jones

Dlr: North ♠ A J 9 2
Vul: E-W A K J 6 4
A 9 3
♣ 6
♠ 7 4 ♠ K 10 6
10 2 Q 9 7 5
K 6 4 10 8 5
♣ K J 10 9 8 4 ♣ A 3 2
♠ Q 8 5 3
8 3
Q J 7 2
♣ Q 7 5
North East South West
1 Pass 1♠ Pass
4♣* Pass 4♠ All Pass

*Splinter bid, four-card support with shortness in clubs
Opening lead: 4
The vulnerability, no doubt, kept West out of the auction. The opening diamond lead was ducked in dummy. South captured East’s eight with the queen and led a low spade to dummy’s jack. East won with his king and, with nothing appealing to play, led a low club. This worked fine, as West won with his eight and continued the suit, forcing dummy to ruff.
Dummy’s ace and king of hearts were cashed, followed by a low heart. South successfully ruffed this with the ♠8 and led his low spade to dummy’s ace. Declarer ruffed another heart, this time with the ♠Q, establishing the jack as a winner, and then ruffed his last club with dummy’s last trump, leaving this position:

Dlr: North ♠ —
Vul: E-W J
A 9
♣ —
♠ — ♠ 10
K 6 Q10 5
♣ K ♣ —
♠ —
J 7 2
♣ —

South led dummy’s J and East was helpless. He did his best by ruffing and leading a low diamond, but South played low from his hand and took the last two tricks with diamonds. Well done!

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