6th December 2023

Dealer East
 S
   
N-S vul
 H
 AKQJ
    
    D A64
    
    C A86432
    
S
 8653     S
 AK74
H
 98743     H
 652
D
 J1032     D
 Q9
C
    C
 Q975
    S
 QJ1092
    
    H
 10
    
    D
 K875    
    C
 KJ10
    


South
 West
 North
 East



Pass
Pass
 Pass 1C 1S
2NT 3S 4H Pass
5C Pass 6C All Pass



This deal is from the Tollemache qualifying weekend in November.
Declarer, Paul Spencer of Hampshire, ruffed the opening spade lead and played a club to the king, discovering the bad break.
He recovered well though.  Two top diamonds followed by three top hearts to discard diamonds in dummy.
Now the fourth heart which East did not trump.  Then a diamond ruffed in dummy and a spade ruffed in hand left the end position below.




Dealer East
 S
   
NS vul
 H
   
    D
   
    C A86
    
S
 8
     S
H
 9     H
D
 J
     D
C
    C
 Q97
    S
 QJ
    
    H
   
    D
   
    C
 J
    

Now the six of clubs was won by East with the queen and he had to play away from the nine and seven of clubs into North's ace and eight.
Well played, but there was a safer line.
At trick two declarer should play a club to the ten to guard against a four nil break.  If this loses twelve tricks are fairly easy as long as the red suits behave reasonably.   Declarer will make five club tricks, four heart tricks, two top diamonds and a diamond ruff in dummy after discarding two diamonds on the hearts.