Resist Temptation

Dlr:
South
Vul
N-S
North
♠ A
A 10 9
A Q 10 8 7 6 2
♣ K 9
South
♠ 8 7 4 2
K Q J 5 2
9 5
♣ A 6
West North East South
1 1♠ 2
Pass 4NT Pass 5♠
Pass 5NT Pass 6
All Pass

After you bid 2 over East’s 1♠ bid, your partner asked for key cards with 4NT. When you showed two key cards plus the Q, North made a grand slam try by bidding 5NT, guaranteeing all the key cards and the trump queen. He was hoping you would show the K. When you denied holding that card by bidding 6, your partner gave up on the grand slam. West started with the third-highest ♠3. You take trick one in dummy perforce. Now what?

Solution

After winning the first trick with the ♠A, declarer cashed the ace of trumps to make sure that trumps were not 5-0. When both opponents followed, declarer decided to try to set up dummy’s long suit, the diamonds. Rather than risk the tempting diamond finesse, declarer played the A and another diamond. After winning with the J, East forced dummy by playing a high spade.

Declarer ruffed this with the 9, then drew a second round of trumps with dummy’s 10. Next, he ruffed a diamond high, thereby establishing the suit. All that remained for declarer was to draw West’s two remaining trumps and claim 12 tricks: one spade, a spade ruff, five trumps, two clubs and three diamonds. The full deal:

Dlr:
South
Vul
N-S
North
♠ A
A 10 9
A Q 10 8 7 6 2
♣ K 9
West
♠ 10 6 3
8 7 4 3
3
♣ J 8 7 5 2
East
♠ K Q J 9 5
6
K J 4
♣ Q 10 4 3
South
♠ 8 7 4 2
K Q J 5 2
9 5
♣ A 6

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