This week you are invited to take the South seat. West has led the ♣Q. Can you guess what contract has been declared? The auction was opened by South.

You have 15 HCP and North has 14, providing your side with a double stopper in every suit except clubs – where you have only the ♣K. The auction was obviously opened by South with 1♥, North apparently responded with spades and South probably answered with diamonds. What happened from there on?

Two hands combined you hold seven hearts and diamonds, also six spades. If the ♥Q is in favorable position, you can count on five tricks in hearts, four in spades, two in diamonds and one club trick – altogether 12 tricks. Although hearts and spades were surely shown during the auction, a contract of 6NT seems definitely the choice, as your best trump suit – hearts – is only a seven-carder, also it is doubtful that North would have supported hearts.

West has led the ♣Q. East takes this trick with the ♣A (trick 1) and leads the ♥2 – putting your imaginary contract of 6NT into a tight spot at once. You have already lost one trick, if you play a small card and West holds the ♥Q, you might lose another one. To play it safe you take this trick with the ♥A (trick 2), lead the ♦A (trick 3) and a small diamond next. West plays a small diamond too, you finesse the ♦J, which wins the trick as East discards a small club (trick 4).

Now you can lead a small club from the dummy to your king (trick 5) – whoever has the ♣J, must hold on tight to his winner and is forced to discard from some other suit if the need arises. You lead the ♠3 to dummy`s ace (trick 6) and take three more tricks with the ♠KQJ (tricks 7, 8, 9) discarding the ♣10 and two diamonds. West ditches two diamonds too, so East has the remaining ♠10.

Next you lead the ♦K (trick 10). East discards a small club and as you know East has the ♠10, he cannot have more than two hearts. You lead the ♥10 from dummy`s hand and as East plays a small heart you win that trick with the ♥J (trick 11). Now you lead the ♥K (trick 12), then the ♥8 (trick 13).

Was there an alternative contract which could have been declared and made? Yes, South-North could have made 6♥, but not 6♠, as East had five spades including the ♠109.

If 6♥ were the contract, West would probably have opened likewise by leading the ♣Q and East won the trick with the ♣A (trick 1). East would probably have led his singleton diamond enabling a free finesse, so you could have won this trick with the ♦J (trick 2).

After that you could have led and finessed the ♥10 and if East played a low card, the trick would have been won by the ♥10 (trick 3). Next you would have led a small heart to your J (trick 4) and taken another trick with the ♥A discarding a small club from dummy`s hand (trick 5).

After that you could have taken a trick with the ♣K (trick 6), four tricks with spades (tricks 7, 8, 9, 10), one trick with the ace of diamond and the last two with trumps.

Analysis:

Par Contract Analysis:

The par contract on this deal is 6NT South (North).

Bridge Baron deal No : N1112-94783-50160-66214-04701-59360