Bridge: One suit offers salvation; declarer exploits it perfectly

What the auction lacked in sophistication was amply compensated for by declarer’s lucid thinking and immaculate technique.

Bidding
Dealer: North
Love All

Playing a Strong NT, North opened 1C but, instead of rebidding 1NT to show his balanced hand, opted to support his partner’s major suit. This, apparently, was sufficient encouragement for South.

West led Q♦ and, with eleven top tricks, only one more need be sought. However, without a long suit to establish, a cross ruff to undertake, or even chances for an esoteric squeeze, prospects seem bleak. The club suit seems to offer the only glimmer of hope, either if it splits 3-3 or if the fourth round can be ruffed safely in dummy. There is one additional chance, and that was seized upon by declarer. 

Winning trick one, and drawing only two rounds of trumps, declarer cashed ♣AQ, then led 9♣ towards his hand. If the suit splits 3-3, he can win and draw trumps. Here, East faced a problem. If he failed to ruff, South could win with K♣ and ruff his final club with dummy’s 10♠. If, instead, East did ruff in — as he chose to do — declarer plays low on this trick. Later, he can use K♣ to pitch a diamond from dummy, and then ruff his third diamond from hand with dummy’s trump, producing his twelfth trick. Beautifully simple.