BRIDGE

Only the bold

Andrew Robson

BRILLIANT hand evaluation by Mark Amory and daring card play by Kate Grimond resulted in a most unlikely Slam being made from the Master Duplicate at my bridge club.

Dealer West Neither side vulnerable 43

V 7 6 4 • K 9 8 2 4AQ109 5 4A J 8 V K Q J

• J 3 8

4Q 9 7 542 V 10 5 3 2

• 4

N

W E 4K 8 4 2

4J 3

4 K 10 6

V A 9

• A Q 107 6 5

4,76

The Bidding South West North West 11► pass 34

44

4V 4NT pass

5, pass

pass 64 pass

pass It was marginal whether South had

enough playing strength to bid 4* after East's spirited 3V bid, but it made North's hand enormous. His fine trump support, singleton 4 and strong 4s sitting over West's likely strength (West was the open- er) were clearly powerful. And even his three little hearts were looking better. The opponents had bid and supported Vs to a high level so his partner rated to be very short (to find her with even two Vs was unlikely). Mark bid 4NT to check for aces, knowing that he could pass a 5• response, and the slam was reached.

Kate won West's ♦K lead with VA and correctly started establishing dummy's its immediately. A 4 to 610 held, 4A was cashed and a third f led and ruffed by declarer as East discarded. The 4-2 4 break meant that declarer was an entry short both to establish the fifth 4 and retain two trumps in dummy to trump the 4s. To create the extra entry, Kate played a low ♦ and, when West played low, she played dummy's nine. This held the trick so she ruffed a fourth 4, crossed to ♦K draw- ing West's knave, and cashed the estab- lished fifth 4, discarding •9. She conceded a 4 and was able to ruff her two remaining 4s in dummy and make her slam.