I really enjoyed this hand.

E-W game, dlr E (hands rotated)

♠ K 8 4
♥ J 6 3
♦ 9 2
♣ A 8 6 4 2

[ ]

♠ A J 10 9 3
♥ A 7 4
♦ K Q 10 3
♣ 10

Pass 1♠ Pass 2♠
Pass 4♠ All Pass

Q♣ led.

The jump to game was perhaps a bit aggressive, but we weren’t having a good set, and I only have five losers on the LTC.

The play seemed very routine, and I didn’t have any thoughts of magic tricks. If the A♦ is on-side, my hand looks a lot better, so I hopped up with the A♣ to play the 2♦ to the K♦. West took his A♦ straight away and led to his partner’s K♣. I ruffed small, and paused to take stock.

If I can find the Q♠, I still only have eight tricks. I can finesse against the J♦, and if it falls in three I will have two extra diamond tricks. Or maybe ruffing the fourth diamond with the 8♠ will work, or maybe I can discard a heart or two on diamonds, and ruff a heart in dummy. It’s all looking a bit thin, but it seems right to clarify the diamond position to figure out what to do next. So I crossed to the K♠ and ran the 9♦, losing to the J♦. Of course, another club came back.


♠ 8 4
♥ J 6 3
♦
♣ 8 6

[ ]

♠ A J
♥ A 7 4
♦ Q 10
♣

West was entirely too pleased to get that club on the table, so I guessed that meant he was looking at the Q♠. I’ve already lost two tricks, so that makes all three I can afford. And I only have four top winners in these last seven tricks, so I have to make the extra two with trumps.

It has to be right to cash the A♠ in case the Q♠ falls, because if it does, I will be ruffing high with my last two trumps. Of course, the Q♠ remained out, and West looked poised for the kill. But he still had to find a way to ruff in. I cashed the Q 10♦, discarding hearts from dummy, then played A♥ and ruffed a heart with dummy’s last trump. Next a club from dummy, and West had to follow suit as I made the J♠ in hand. My losing heart and his Q♠ fell together on the last trick.


            ♠ K 8 4
            ♥ J 6 3
            ♦ 9 2
            ♣ A 8 6 4 2
♠ Q 7 5                    ♠ 6 2
♥ K 8          [ ]         ♥ Q 10 9 5 2
♦ A J 7 5                  ♦ 8 6 4
♣ Q J 9 3   ♠ A J 10 9 3   ♣ K 7 5
            ♥ A 7 4
            ♦ K Q 10 3
            ♣ 10


I think it's called elopement when you make those last trumps while the master trump is still out with the defence. It perhaps doesn’t look like much, written down like this, but the effect at the table was like a magic trick. I had all these losers, and not so many winners, and all of a sudden the contract was made and West was very unhappy. To his credit, he took it like a gentleman, although seeing all the other scores on the traveler being 110 and 140 must have been painful.