Bridge - The Scotsman 28/04/2012

When our preferred option falls flat there may be another way to a contract, but it will require thinking ahead.

(1) Unusual no-trump 5-5 or more in the minors

(2) Unassuming cue-bid, good heart raise

(3) Roman Keycard Blackwood

(4) Two keycards + queen of hearts

East was understandably excited when partner opened 1H, and drove to slam in spite of the ugly 5-3-3-2 distribution. North led the king of diamonds to dummy’s ace. How would you plan the play?

You have 11 tricks with two spades, two minor aces, five trumps and two diamond ruffs in hand. With no opposition bidding you might hope to make a twelfth by leading towards the queen of clubs: if South has the king the queen provides a discard for dummy’s losing spade. But North’s overcall makes him a huge favourite to hold the king of clubs, so this plan will probably fail. Can you see an alternative?

You may as well start by eliminating diamonds. At trick two you should ruff a diamond, then return to dummy with a heart to ruff the third diamond. Draw the last trump, noting that North shows out. His likely distribution now is 2-1-5-5, and if he has any spade honour you can make use of your powerful nine. Lead a spade to the king and a spade from dummy. If South plays low insert the nine – when North wins he has only minor suit cards left to play and must either lead away from his king of clubs or give a ruff and discard by playing a diamond. If South produces any spade honour on the second round you should duck, hoping that North will drop an honour. If he has to win the trick he is endplayed as before; if, as here, he drops the ten under South’s queen, you can later finesse the nine of spades.

If North has a second heart and a singleton spade honour you still make your slam on the elimination play. You fail only when South has QJ10 of spades.