Bridge

SOUTH felt depressed when, after his opponents had made an easy game on the first hand of the rubber, he picked up what he regarded as his normal hand (a balanced five points). Good news was coming and he soon found himself as declared in a grand slam.

East West game; dealer East

North

A K Q 4

A K Q 7

2

A K Q 6

West

2

J 9 8 3

10 8 7 3

J 10 7 2

East

9 8 6 5

10 2

K Q J 9 5 4

4

South

J 10 7 3

6 5 4

A 6

9 8 5 3

East paused and after two more passes, North opened Two Diamonds. This was a variant of the 'Multi' - a weak two in a major or a strong three-suited hand.

East doubled, suggesting a lead, and South replied Two Hearts in case this was his partner's suit. North jumped to Four Clubs, a further convention showing a powerful 4-4-4-1 distribution with a singleton diamond. South cue-bid his ace of diamonds and North bid Five Diamonds (choose a suit, partner]). South's Five Spades, to his horror, was raised to Seven Spades.

West led a diamond and the contract, although straightforward on a 32- trump break, required some play. Declarer won with his ace, ruffed a diamond high in dummy, and followed with four rounds of trumps. On the last West discarded in front of dummy, a heart or a club proved fatal and the grand slam rolled in.