Randy elopes

Voluptua and Randy had done moderately well in the recent point tournament helped somewhat by Randy’s play in 6♠ as North on the hand below. Many other pairs had been in the slam and no others had made it. The unsuccessful pairs were therefore somewhat mystified both by Deep Finesse’s claim that the contract was makable and that Randy had indeed made it.

	♠AK8643 ♥AT94 ♦— ♣K93
♠— ♥KJ876 ♦9643 ♣Q652		♠Q975 ♥Q32 ♦KJT2 ♣65
	♠JT2 ♥5 ♦AQ875 ♣AJ74

Here is how it was done. East led ♥2 (the best lead) which Randy won with the Ace. Then came heart ruff, ♦A (Randy discarding a club), diamond ruff, ♣A, diamond ruff, heart ruff, diamond ruff, ♣K to reach this position with 9 tricks taken:

	♠AK8 ♥T ♦— ♣—
♠— ♥KJ ♦— ♣Q6		♠Q975 ♥— ♦— ♣—
	♠J ♥— ♦A ♣J7

Randy now advanced ♥T and East was helpless. Either she ruffed with ♠Q in which case Randy would make the last 3 tricks with his top trumps or she underruffed and then Randy would ruff with ♠J and still come to two more tricks with ♠AK.

Voluptua had observed the play keenly as Randy was so manly when playing a slam contract. She recognised the technique whereby declarer tries to score his own trumps cheaply by ruffing one of dummy’s suits as “elopement”. Smiling sweetly at her swain she murmured “I love elopements” to which Randy blushed appropriately.

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