24th July 2019

Dealer West
S
K4
   
Game All
H
J1052
   
    D 8
   
    C KQJ1075
   
S
98
    S
AJ52
H
KQ973
    H

D
752
    D
K10643
C
A83
    C
9642
    S
Q10763
   
    H
A864
   
    D
AQJ9
   
    C

   


South
West
North
East

Pass
1C 1D
1S 2H Pass 3D
3NT Pass
Pass
Pass


This deal from the President's Cup an inter county teams of eight competition held over a summer weekend in the North of England.
South (John Holland) would have liked to double three diamonds for penalties in the above auction, but that would systematically have been for take out, so he settled for three notrump instead. 

West led the seven of diamonds and East kindly played the king.  Even so, with the hearts known to be five nil offside, this contract was still problematical.  John tried a small heart at trick two, West won with the queen and persevered with another diamond.  John won and played a spade to the king and ace.  East returned another diamond and John now played a heart which West won with the king to play a second spade.  The East and West hands were now isolated from each other.  John played a heart to the jack then the king of clubs flamboyantly throwing the ace of hearts.  Now when West won the ace of clubs he had to give the remainder of the tricks to dummy.

Thanks to John Holland for reporting this deal