This hand was devised many years ago for the then annual Intercollegiate Par Bridge Championship. Par for North-South was to bid and make seven notrump. South should surely undertake the grand slam after learning that North has the only missing ace. Thirteen tricks in notrump seem virtually certain.

But if South becomes careless during the play, he fails in his mission, and that’s what happened to many of the declarers who got to seven notrump.

The first test comes at trick one when declarer must win the spade lead with dummy’s ace. He then cashes the queen of spades, discarding the ace of hearts! This is followed by the K-Q-J of hearts, discarding the A-K-Q of clubs!

When declarer next cashes the jack of clubs and East’s ten appears, dummy’s clubs all become tricks, and South easily makes the grand slam.

Observe that if declarer plays the hand in less spectacular fashion by winning the spade lead with the king and trying to run his diamonds, he goes down one.

South’s first five plays are certainly unusual, but they illustrate an important principle of card play. When dummy appears, South sees that the contract is certain unless the diamonds are divided 4-0.

To guard against this, he plays his cards in the manner described. If the diamonds are divided 2-2 or 3-1, no harm can come from discarding the ace of hearts and A-K-Q of clubs at the start of play.

But if, as in the actual case, it turns out that the diamonds are divided 4-0, South gives himself an extra chance by putting himself in position to utilize dummy’s clubs. The fact that East’s ten of clubs falls on dummy’s jack is merely poetic justice.

Tomorrow: A long-term view.