A fine grand slam.
East-West vulnerable.  
East deals.
                              North
                              S: Q J 4            
                              H: K           
                              D: Q 7 6 5 3   
                              C: A 10 5 2
            West                             East
            S: 10 8 3                        S: 9 7 6 2      
            H: Q J 3                         H: 9 8 7 6 5 4
            D: 8 2                           D: 10 9              
            C: Q J 7 6 4                     C: 3           
                              South                         
                              S: A K 5 
                              H: A 10 2     
                              D: A K J 4   
                              C: K 9 8    
          The Bidding:  
                   East   South     West   North                  
                   Pass    2C       Pass    2D  
                   Pass    2NT      Pass    4C  
                   Pass    4NT      Pass    5C  
                   Pass    5NT      Pass    7NT
                   Pass    Pass     Pass  
          Opening lead: 10 S
     Thanks to Steve Vrooman of Beachwood for this exciting hand
from a matchpoint duplicate event.  Mort Pierce of Chagrin Falls
held the South cards and found himself the declarer in an
optimistic grand slam.
     With twelve top tricks, the only hope for the thirteenth
trick was to find the queen-jack of hearts and the queen-jack of
clubs in the same hand.  If that was the case, that defender
would not be able to keep enough cards in each of those suits to
stop declarer from making his contract.
     Pierce started out by taking three rounds of spades and then
four rounds of diamonds.  With the lead in dummy, he called for
the fifth diamond  and watched as West felt the pressure.  Here
was the position:
                              North
                              S: Void             
                              H: K           
                              D: 7         
                              C: A 10 5 2
            West                             East
            S: Void                          S: 9            
            H: Q J 3                         H: 9 8 7 6    
            D: Void                          D: Void              
            C: Q J 7                         C: 3           
                              South                         
                              S: Void  
                              H: A 10 2     
                              D: Void      
                              C: K 9 8 
     East played the six of hearts.  Pierce played the eight of
clubs and West, hoping that his partner held the ten of hearts,
let go of the three.  Pierce called for the king of hearts.  This
was followed by a club to the king.  When the queen of hearts
fell under the ace, the ten of hearts became the thirteenth
trick.
     The odds were certainly against this contract, but the
declarer's task is to play each hand as best that he can.  If the
cards behave, he will have earned his reward.
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