BRIDGE

IF you reach an impossible slam, imagination is needed. This deal, from the Danish Teams' Championship, strikes me as a good example.

The bidding by North-South was not very disciplined and South, with little practical information being conveyed to the opponents, ended in Six Hearts.

West led the jack of spades against the slam and it was clear to declarer that he had serious problems. One spade discard on the king of diamonds (even if it proved to be a trick) would not help and, even if the ruffing fin-esse in clubs was right (with East holding the king), there was only one quick entry to dummy.

At some tables, in the same contract, declarer won in hand and tried a diamond. No joy, and, in the fullness of time, he managed to lose a spade as well.

Only one declarer succeeded. He appreciated that, to use the clubs, dummy needed two ent-ries. He allowed West's jack of spades to win the first trick! Clearly a diamond switch would have beaten the contract out of hand, but West was not clairvoyant and, on reflection, he continued spades.

Now it was all over. South won, drew trumps, cashed the ace of clubs, and led the nine of spades to the king. The queen of clubs was covered and ruffed and dummy re-entered with the eight of spades for the discard of South's losing diamond on the winning club. Very neat - re-mind me not to go to Denmark if they play like this.

Love all; dealer South

North

] K 8 4 3

_ 9

+ K 10 8 6

[ Q J 8 4

West East

] J 10 7 ] Q 5 _ 3 2 _ J 7 6

+ J 9 7 + A Q 4 3 2

[ 10 6 5 3 2 [ K 9 7

South

] A 9 6 2

_ A K Q 10 8 5 4

+ 5

[ A