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Some of the most sophisticated plays in bridge are forced upon declarer by the set of circumstances he encounters. Here is a case where South had to resort to special measures to overcome a seemingly certain trump loser.
South opened the bidding with three spades, to which North responded five notrump. This was the Grand Slam Force, directing South to bid seven spades if he held two of the three top spade honors. South had no choice but to obey and so bid the grand slam.
Ordinarily, South would have made 13 tricks easily. But after he took the ace of hearts and ace of spades, ruffed a heart and cashed the king of spades, he learned that East had started with the J-9-8-2 of trump.
Declarer was now compelled to try for a trump coup, which offered the only chance to escape a trump loser. This meant he had to reduce his trump length to that of East by ruffing two of dummy's diamonds.
So South led a diamond to the king and ruffed a diamond, then led a club to the king and ruffed another diamond, reducing his trump holding to the Q-10, while East had the J-9.
When South next led a club to dummy's ace and started to run dummy's remaining diamonds, East found himself in a hopeless position. Declarer was certain to win the rest of the tricks regardless of how East chose to defend, and the grand slam was home.
Tomorrow: Measures and countermeasures.