Puzzle This

Playing IMPs, as South, you aggressively bid to 7♠. West leads the J. Plan the play.

North
♠ 6 4 2
A J 9 7 6 5
♣ A 6 5 2

South
♠ A K Q J 10 9
A K Q
♣ 10 8 7 3

View Solution

The lead is not damaging, and the odds are you will make the grand slam with the optimal line of play. Your three club losers will go away if you set up the diamond suit. You will need a 4–3 diamond split (approximately 62.2%) or a 5–2 split with one of the opponents holding the K Q doubleton (1.5%). How will you establish diamonds?

You can create entries to dummy by ruffing your heart winners. Start by ruffing the heart lead. Play the A and ruff a diamond. Alternatively, you can withhold cashing the A. If necessary, ruff your other two hearts and another two diamonds. If the diamonds in dummy are good, draw trump and claim. Note that with only three trumps remaining in your hand, you will need the spades to split 3–1 or 2–2 (90.4%).
This was the full deal:

Instead of the natural heart lead, the defense could have prevailed on the given layout by leading a low trump or a club, which eliminates a vital entry to dummy. Still, on a trump lead, you can give East a chance to err. Ruff and play a low diamond. If East plays an honor, you can set up diamonds by ruffing another heart and leading the J.


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