The obsession with No Trumps has the potential to either win in a big way, or deservedly crash in flames. Why do so many bridge players have this obsession with bidding No Trump slams rather than the far easier to make minor suit slam? I don’t have a ready answer for that, but Deep Finesse does, because DF can see all the hands and knows that 7NT can be made by NS on this deal. So can 7D but 7D does not require the same virtually impossible layout that 7NT requires.
Board 19 from Wednesday 28/02/24
Dealer S EW Vul
Firstly, let’s take a look at the much maligned minor suit slam. In most cases it should be enough to bid the small slam, 6D. It just so happens that there are thirteen EASY tricks in diamonds: draw two rounds of trumps, play three top spades discarding a club from dummy, and ruff a spade and a club in dummy. That is precisely why we should play in a trump suit, especially when we have such a great fit. Now look at what Deep Finesse has to do to make thirteen tricks in No Trumps. Even in only 6NT there is no leeway because after a heart lead there are not even twelve tricks there without finessing clubs successfully. At the table, that should be easier if West has bid some number of hearts but there is no certainty that the club finesse will work through East. But, double dummy, where there’s Deep Finesse there’s a way. The reader can no doubt solve this one easily enough: take the club finesse the ‘right’ way and then squeeze West because West has four spades to the jack AND the four hearts (KQJ10) that matter.
A6
A964
KQ76
AJ7