Finding the jack

Today’s deal is from an online game played on RealBridge, one of several options available for play on the internet.

South’s four-spade bid was not a thing of beauty, and many would not choose it for themselves, but it caught the brass ring on this deal. Not only was four hearts an easy make for East-West, four spades has legitimate play, needing only to find the jack of diamonds.

South ruffed the heart continuation at trick two, cashed the king of spades, and led a spade to dummy’s ace. He left the last trump outstanding and set out to see what he could learn about the deal. He led the queen of clubs, which East won with his ace and led his remaining spade to South’s jack. Two diamond discards from dummy would not help South, so he led the king of clubs, crashing dummy’s 10, and continued with the jack of clubs and a club ruff.

South’s excellent technique taught him everything he needed to know. West had started with 1-7-3-2 distribution. East had to have the ace of diamonds, or West would have opened one heart rather than three hearts. South led a diamond to his king, winning the trick, and then ran the 10 of diamonds, knowing it would lose to the now singleton ace. Very nicely played!