Alarm clock

E-W Game
Dealer East

• Q4
• J73
• AQ1075
• J76

• 103
• AK85
• K832
• A83

N

W

E

S

• A2
• Q10642
• 6
• 109542

• KJ98765
• 9
• J94
• KQ

West

North

East

South

Paul

Tony

Jon

Peter

—

—

Pass

1

X

2

3

3

Pass

Pass

4

4

X

All pass

I played in the EBU simultaneous last night, and very much enjoyed the defence on this deal.  The bidding was aggressive by both sides - South may have reasoned that with both opponents suggesting spade shortage, his partner was likely to have a little something to help.

I led the king of hearts, and, as the competition booklet points out, needed to switch to a diamond at trick two to secure four tricks for the defence.  There are good reasons to get this right after the revealing auction, and many Easts would have played the ten of hearts, explaining to West after he'd done the wrong thing that this was an obvious suit preference for diamonds.  Not so Jon, who played the queen.

The traveller showed spade contracts making eleven tricks once, ten tricks four times, and nine tricks once.