I hope all of my readers have a happy and healthy 2016. To start the year, let’s look at the winner of last year’s Keri Klinger Memorial Declarer Play of the Year award from the International Bridge Press Association.

The deal arose during the final of the World Open Pairs in Sanya, China. The declarer was Espen Lindqvist from Norway.

After West’s one-heart overcall and North’s two-diamond response, South’s fourclub rebid was a splinter, probably with a void given that his partner’s single raise made a slam very unlikely.

Against five diamonds, West led the spade 10. When that held the trick, he continued with the spade queen. What did declarer do?

Lindqvist won with his spade ace, ruffed a spade in the dummy, discarded the heart three on the club ace, ruffed a club with the diamond 10, and led his last spade. When West followed suit, South ruffed with the diamond queen. Then he ran the diamond nine, ruffed another club (to leave West with only hearts), and cashed his last two trumps, the ace and king.

Everyone was down to three cards. East had kept two hearts and the club king; dummy held the heart 10-six and club six; West retained the heart K-J-8; and South had the heart A-Q-9.

Now declarer led his heart queen and unblocked dummy’s 10. West took the trick but had to lead from his heart jack-eight into Lindqvist’s ace-nine.

That was a terrific performance, taking full benefit from West’s ill-advised overcall with a weak hand, opposite a passed partner, and vulnerable.