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Your support makes all the difference.This deal won the Digital Fountain Best Played Hand Award from the International Bridge Press Association for the Norwegian star Geir Helgemo. It did not occur in a major event, but on the internet.
South opened the bidding with One Heart, North responded One Spade, East intervened with Two Diamonds, and the final contract was Four Hearts. On a NT lead there is an easy route home, a diamond ruff in dummy supplying the 10th trick.
But it was a trump that emerged from West, to the four, queen and ace. Now, when in with a diamond, king and another heart scuppers the ruff.
So, Helgemo set out to establish the fifth spade, hoping for a 4-3 break. He cashed the ace and king in dummy, discarding a diamond from his hand. However, East showed out on the third spade. Helgemo ruffed, then led the heart jack to East's king. Back came a heart to dummy's nine. West cannot release a black card without assisting declarer, and did well to discard the diamond king. Helgemo now ducked a diamond, East winning. If East plays a club, declarer ducks, West wins - and is endplayed. In fact a diamond was returned. This was the position:
East: 3Q954 284.
South: 110 38 2AK65.
West: 4Q9 2QJ93
North: 4104 3A 21072.
West could not afford a club, so released the spade nine. Dummy won, a spade was ruffed, and a low club towards the ten left West without resource. Brilliantly handled.
Love all; dealer South
North
4 A K 10 4 2
1 9 7 4
3 A 2
2 10 7 2
South
4 3
1 A J 10 8 6
3 8 7 6
2 A K 6 5
West
4 Q 9 8 6 5
1 3 2
3 K 10
2 Q J 9 3
East
4 J 7
1 K Q 5
3 Q J 9 5 4 3
2 8 4
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