Bridge: fine slam relies on controls, long suits and some decent fortune

A seemingly intuitively bid slam resulted from logical thinking; the play required simple technique but a clear focus.

Bidding
Dealer North
E/W Game

North’s 2C was Fourth Suit Forcing, compelling partner to continue to at least game-level, describing his hand in more detail. Once North had agreed spades, South’s 4D was a well-timed cue-bid, indicating extra suitability. North, thinking that partner was probably 4-1-5-3 shape, felt that his hearts suddenly seemed an awfully promising side-suit and so, holding excellent controls in each suit, he decided to bid the slam, risking the trump quality.

South’s hand turns out to be as North had hoped, however all focus must be on the dummy. West led 7♣, taken with dummy’s J♣. Perhaps South can overcome a 4-1 trump break if there is a singleton honour, but these thin contacts usually require some decent divisions. Here, declarer led a low trump from dummy and took his A♠, before next playing to K♠. The master trump is now correctly left out as declarer sets up the heart suit: A♥, followed by a heart ruff in hand; club to dummy’s A♣, and another low heart ruffed. Whether West over-ruffs or not, all dummy’s cards are winners, and the solitary trump trick is all the defence make.

Paul Mendelson’s new book, ‘The Joy of Bridge’, is out now