“A man who does not lose his reason over certain things has none to lose.” – Gottfried Lessing

In the match between Norway and Canada in the qualifying rounds of the 2003 World Junior Teams, the Canadian declarer made 11 tricks in three no-trump on a low spade lead, scoring plus 660.

However, North-South for Norway climbed all the way to six diamonds.

Say West leads a heart.

Declarer wins, draws trumps, cashes the other top heart, and then runs all the trumps to produce a four-card ending.

Dummy will be down to the A-Q-J of clubs and a spade.

West therefore will have to bare his spade ace to keep three clubs to the king.

Declarer now takes a club finesse and then throws West in with a spade to force a lead back into the club tenace.

However, Josh Heller as West was having none of this.

He led the nine of clubs at trick one!

Declarer did not see any squeeze possibilities now that the club communications were cut, so went up with the club ace, hoping for the minor miracle of finding the spade queen onside.

He now had to go one down.

It looks as if the club destroys declarer’s communications, but let’s say declarer takes the club finesse, then simply plays off all seven trumps followed by the top hearts, ending in dummy.

In the three-card ending, West has to keep the club king guarded, so must bare his spade ace.

He again can be thrown in with a spade to open up clubs for declarer.

Again, 12 tricks made!

Bid with the aces

South holds:

Answer: Were you tempted to compete any further?

Your hand is nearly a minimum in high cards and has subminimum shape for supporting diamonds (two spades not one, only three trumps).

Pass, and let partner bid again if he wants to.