The Right Slam
I hope I did not leave you all gasping with withdrawal syptoms last week when I failed to put up a new Deal Of The Week. I’ll do my best to not let that happen again!
This week features Joy & Irving Blakey - They could consider applying for a season ticket to the column - playing in Diumraid MASTER SWISS Teams.
Board: 15
Dealer: South
Vul: N/S
Teams
North
♠ Q
♥ 1032
♦ Q972
♣ Q10863
West East
♠ A10843 ♠ KJ5
♥ A9 ♥ KQ8654
♦ K103 ♦ AJ54
♣ KJ5 ♣ -
South
♠ 9762
♥ J7
♦ 86
♣ A9742
West North East South
pass
1♠ pass 2♥ pass
2NT pass 3♠ pass
4♠ pass 5♣ pass
5♦ pass 5♥ pass
6♠ All Pass
I’ll leave the pen to Irving:
“One Spade was 5+ and 2 NT showed 15-18 and denied 3♥ with max hcp. After my 4♠ , 3 cue bids followed before I bid 6♠. 6♥ would have been better leaving it to Joy to decide whether or not to play the slam in ♥ or ♠ but then there would be no story as she would have correctly passed 6♥ which was a lay-down 7 on the actual layout. (Identifying Key Queens tends to be difficult when there is a void).
30 out of 32 tables made 13 tricks in either major - one went off in 6♠ - (presumably not solving how to continue after starting correctly) and those in the more difficult Spade contract presumably not seeing the danger!
Our counterparts at the other table gambled 6H after a misguided Gerber enquiry identified there was an Ace missing!
Anyway, the play's the thing.
The ♣6 lead was ruffed in dummy. The ♠Jack was run to keep control whenever the trumps break 3-2
The Jack lost to the Queen and North continued with a second low Club ruffed with the ♠King. Heart to the Ace and the ♠Ace just to discover the 4-1 split. Now a trump Coup is the only way to succeed.
South must hold at least two Diamonds and because an extra entry to Dummy is needed via the finesse, North must be played for the Diamond Queen.
South in fact made the hand easier by discarding a Club not a Diamond on the third heart so I was (fortunately?) not further tested”
We mortals might need to fill in the details. After the ♠ Ace revealed the 4-1 break and the need for a trump coup, Irving continued with a H to the King. This is now the position with the lead in Dummy:
North
♠ -
♥ 10
♦ Q972
♣ Q10
West East
♠ 1084 ♠ -
♥ - ♥ Q865
♦ K103 ♦ AJ5
♣ K ♣ -
South
♠ 97
♥ -
♦ 86
♣ A97
Irving played the ♥Queen and as he points out, if South now discards a ♦ he is put to the test of ruffing the heart winner and then follow up with a ♦ to the Jack. As it was, South discarded a club as did Irving. Now he ruffed a Heart and South discard another Club. ♦ King and a ♦ to the Jack left these cards around the table:
North
♠ -
♥ -
♦ Q9
♣ Q
West East
♠ 108. ♠ -
♥ - ♥ 86
♦ 10 ♦ A
♣ - ♣ -
South
♠ 97
♥ -
♦
♣ A
When a ♥ was led from Dummy South could choose how to surrender. If South discards the ♣Ace Irving discards a Diamond and on the next card from Dummy Souths ♠97 is killed by Irvings ♠108. After a great piece of declarer play Irving emerged victorious with a 1 IMP loss!
Espen Gisvold
PS
If you see a hand you think is worth mentioning please leave me a note at: Espen
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