Untitled

West

North

East

South

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Pass

1

Pass

2

Pass

2

Pass

3

Pass

4

Pass

4

Pass

6

All Pass

Partner leads the Queen of Spades. Declarer surveys the dummy, wins the ace, and then calls for the Ten of Clubs. What do you play and why? Assuming you win this trick, what do you play next?

West bid a slam missing the top club honors. East never promised those honors, so we must assume that West has at most one club. That makes our club holding less attractive. West may be able to ruff out our club honors. Therefore, our first job is to convince West that we do not hold all three club honors. Win the first trick with the Ace. That is consistent with someone who holds the Ace and King and is trying to be clever. It is also consistent with someone who holds the Ace and Jack and is concerned that Declarer is trying to score a singleton King. In any event it at least preserves the possibility that we do not hold all three club honors.

After we play the Ace of Clubs, West follows. Now we have to count Declarers tricks. He should hold the King of Spades, the Ace and King of Hearts and at least four good diamonds. A count of Declarers tricks tells us that he can get two spades and two hearts, and will need eight trump tricks to get to contract. He has a nine card fit. If we lead a trump he will have at most eight trump tricks and might run into trouble dealing with our eight of trumps.

Declarer plays low on our trump return and leads a top club from dummy. You have a fair chance of defeating the slam if you play low without hesitation. Declarer must decide whether to play you for A-K-J of clubs or for you to have at least four cards in one of the major suits, for North to hold the eight of trumps, or for trumps to divide 2-2. In any of these instances, Declarer will be able to cross-ruff the entire hand.

If you hold three clubs and three diamonds, Declarer will be able (with good card reading) to take three ruffs in dummy with the small trumps. That will guarantee a high cross-ruff. If you hold only two diamonds, Declarer will still have the chance to take three ruffs in dummy with small trumps.

On this hand, Declarer will be able to ruff only one card in each major suit in dummy before we can overruff. The eight of trumps will eventually take the setting trick. If you win the first club with the Jack or hesitate a long time before ducking the second club, Declarer will probably work out what is going on and make the hand by ruffing out your high clubs.

I would point out that Declarer can make this hand by winning the diamond lead in hand. Now he makes the slam because he can ruff a spade and heart with small trumps, and then finish with a high cross-ruff. That is a better line of play for the slam, but the point of good defense is to give Declarer the best chance of going down.

Now it is time for next months hand. An unusual bidding problem in that we will have both hands. What is the preferred auction to get to slam after opening 1

and after opening 1NT? The bidding system includes Strong No Trump openings, Jacoby Transfers, Five Card Major openings, Two-over-one responses, Bergen raises (including 2NT) and splinters.

The answer next month. Those who want to express their opinion should contact the webmaster. I will try to mention all those who take the time to give me a thoughtful answer.

			East
			A
			5 3
			K 9 7 6 2
			Q 10 9 8 2
	South
	9 8 3
	10 8 6
	8 4 3
	A K J 4

	North
	Q J 7 4 2
	Q J 4 2
	10
	7 5 3
West		East
K 10 6 5		A
A K 9 7		5 3
A Q J 5		K 9 7 6 2
6		Q 10 9 8 2
	South
	9 8 3
	10 8 6
	8 4 3
	A K J 4

	North
	x x
	J x x x x
	x
	A K J x x

	South
	A x
	A K 10 9 x
	K J x
	Q 10 9