The Right Jack

The Costa Rica Open team is the first team ever to represent that country at a world bridge championship – and they could not have had a better start than to achieve a maximum 25 VPs in their first round match against Portugal. This deal helped them on their way to that fine result.

Board 12. Dealer West. N/S Vul.
	ª 5 2 © A Q 9 6 2 ¨ K Q 6 § K Q 3
ª Q 8 7 4 © 7 5 3 ¨ 10 7 4 3 § 10 9		ª K 9 6 © 8 4 ¨ J 9 8 5 2 § J 7 2
	ª A J 10 3 © K J 10 ¨ A § A 8 6 5 4

West	North	East	South
	MacGregor		Allen
Pass	1§	Pass	2§
Pass	2©	Pass	3©
Pass	4©	Pass	4ª
Pass	4NT	Pass	5§
Pass	7§	Pass	7©
All Pass

One Club was strong and 2§ a natural positive. Hearts were bid and supported and now John MacGregor, looking at a flat minimum, signed off in 4©. However, when Steve Allen went on with a spade cuebid, MacGregor reassessed his hand, and in particular the club honours, and took control. On discovering one or four key cards, clearly four, he jumped to 7§, offering Allen the option of playing that contract should his intermediate clubs be better than his intermediate hearts. To Allen it was clear that his partner must have the ©Q, of course, and his own hearts guaranteed that this suit, at least, would be solid. Accordingly, he converted to the grand slam where he knew that the jack of trumps was held, allowing MacGregor the luxury of playing to ruff out clubs should they happen to divide four-one when, of course, the club grand slam would have failed. As it happens, that was not necessary and MacGregor easily chalked up all 13 tricks for +2210, despite Sofia Pessoa’s brave lead of a low spade from king-to-three, but that does not alter the fact that the right slam was reached. Well bid.

At the other table, Portugal languished in 6©, so Costa Rica picked up 13 richly deserved IMPs.