| Board 5 Choosing the right slam |
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The Grand Slam depends on the Spade finesse and you should settle for the bird-in-hand when there is a 50% chance of the two-in-the-bush flying away as you grab for them.
2NT by South is Jacoby and says "I have 4-card support and game values". Useful here because it gives you a chance to test how strong the North hand is without improvising a forcing bid from somewhere.
4♥ says "I have a weaker hand so let's settle for game unless you have more than you've already shown". With a stronger hand without a feature North would rebid 3♥ if unbalanced hand or 3NT if balanced. The original definition of feature was a new suit at 3-level shows a singleton but at the 4-level a new suit would show a void.
South can now set the ambition for the hand at small slam but uses Blackwood to check for the ♥ A because with it 6NT is the right contract but without it 6♥ would be safer.
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| The best laid Plans (part 1) |
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This hand is from Victor Mollo's "Last Call In The Menagerie" - a great series and I have them all if you want to borrow one
North leads the ♣ J. It looks like you have an inescapable four losers in the Minor Suits.
Can you come up with a Plan? It will have to be a very cunning one!
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North must have eight Hearts for his bid. Your only hope is that he also started with three Spades, one Club, and one Diamond.
With fingers crossed you win the first trick, Draw Trumps in three rounds, and cash the DA
Now you play your ♥ A and drop the ♥ K under it!
Now you can exit with a Heart and North will have to give you a ruff and discard. |
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| The best laid plans (part 2) |
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You lead the ♣ J hoping partner will win and give you a ruff but no such luck!
Declarer wins, draws trumps in three rounds, cashes the ♦ A and then plays the ♥ A.
Which card do you pull from your hand?
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Anything but the ♥ 2!
You should be aware that you only have Hearts in your hand and that if Declarer can put you on lead you will have to give him a ruff and discard (and his contract!)
Play the ♥ 6 on the ♥ A and smile sweetly when declarer drops Dummy's ♥ K under the ♥ A.
Next Declarer will play the ♥ 4 and you can play the ♥ 2 under it, thwarting Declarer's cunning plan to put you on lead |
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