Zia's Question and Solution for Week 6

'Defending a slam is one of the least enjoyable parts of this fascinating game - unless we beat it, of course!' - ZIA

South deals and NS are vulnerable. Zia, East, picks up this discouraging collection:

East (Zia)

Q102  K4 Q9763 854

The bidding is as follows:

West	North	East	South
			1
Pass	2	Pass	2
Pass	3	Pass	3NT
Pass	4	Pass	4
Pass	4NT	Pass	5
Pass	6	Pass	Pass
Pass

North's 3 rebid is forcing to game. North's 4 is a cuebid in support of hearts, suggesting the A and interest in slam. South cooperates by cuebidding the A. North's 4NT is Roman Key Card Blackwood (where the 5 key cards are the 4 aces and the king of trumps, here the K). South's 5 response showed zero or three key cards. The final contract is 6.

Zia's partner leads 10 and North displays this dummy:

North
74 QJ2 KJ2 AKQJ9
	East (Zia)
	Q102  K4 Q9763 854

Declarer plays K from dummy.

What card would Zia play?

Zia's Solution

The full deal is as shown:

	North
	74 QJ2 KJ2 AKQJ9
West		East (Zia)
J8653  653 10 10763		Q102  K4 Q9763 854
	South
	AK9  A10987 A854 2

Zia's answer is Q.

South won K in dummy in preparation to take the heart finesse. Given West's opening lead, South would expect that if either opponent has a singleton diamond, it would be West. In that case, it would be safe to lose the trump finesse if West had the K, as that would be the only trick for the defence. Looking at the K in his hand, Zia can see that this line of play would succeed and that NS would end up with an overtrick. Zia has to find a way to deflect declarer from this winning play.

Zia does this by dropping the Q under the K. Zia's dramatic play will lead South to now believe that Zia, not West, has the diamond singleton. South will now fear that West could win the K and then lead a diamond for Zia to ruff. To avoid this, South will change his plan and play A. South will then play another heart to give himself the best chance of avoiding this threat.

He will not be pleased when Zia wins the next trump trick with K. Zia would then give partner a diamond ruff after all - the very thing South was trying to avoid! The great Jean Besse originated this coup on a similar deal. It has not lost its beauty many years later.

Final Result: NS win 11 tricks for -100

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