Vil Gravis's blog

This deal presents a difficult bidding problem, and when the bidding problem was solved, a not so difficult problem for declarer that was nevertheless not solved by every declarer. And when the bidding problem was not solved and the NS pairs ended up in an inferior 3NT, many EW pairs still failed to take advantage of their luck by letting declarer make the unmakeable 3NT.

Board 21 from Thursday 15/08/24
Dealer N NS Vul

	4 7 AKT62 AKT852
KT82 KQT5 J975 4		J65 J9832 Q4 Q73
	AQ973 A64 83 J96

This session was played as Swiss Pairs at the Hutt Club, so maybe a direct comparison of results across all of X-Clubs may not reflect how the bidding and play should, or might go. But let’s take a look anyway as there are important lessons to learn if you are going to develop a good understanding as a partnership.

Board 24 from Thursday 9/08/24
Dlr West Nil Vul

	T43 T8762 2 8632
AQJ9852 KJ64 J5		6 AKQ95 AT8 AQT9
	K7 J43 Q9753 K74

Is taking a risk at match points warranted when there could be more to gain than to lose? And the same can apply to teams play though of course there is much more to gain and to lose if you get it wrong. In a match point game, as in the following deal, it was just one board, and the total match points at stake were the equivalent of 4% for the session, to make it easier for the reader to relate to the narrative.

Board 3 from Friday 2/08/24
Dlr South EW Vul

	JT6 AJ87 T842 53
K873 6542 J753 9		954 KQT AKQ96 T2
	AQ2 93 AKQJ8764

Finally, we can have a look at how a 6H slam might fare. Most average declarers would probably fail unless South leads the jack of clubs, a card some Souths might choose. Easy after that, dummy covers and declarer’s nine comes good. The lead of a doubleton jack is not a good lead against any contract unless you have a very good chance of finding partner with higher honours, which this time is nothing short of wishful thinking given the bidding. Here, it is disastrous, because declarer was looking at two possible club losers. A spade lead as it happens comes to no harm and neither does a diamond, but my choice would be the six of trumps. That is totally safe, even if partner has the queen or king. But what if partner has the singleton queen or king and you lead the jack? The low heart, as it happens, gives declarer an extra entry to dummy but it is not needed and declarer can proceed along sensible lines by winning in hand and immediately leading the nine of clubs to the queen. Unlucky! It loses to the king and now there would appear to be little chance of the slam making. But read on.

Board 3 Dealer South EW Vul

	QJ93 54 863 KT75
AT2 Q92 J95 Q432		K7 AK873 AKQ A98
	8654 JT6 T742 J6

Defending against slams should be much easier than against games, and, to go a step further, against part scores. That is because against a slam, you only need two tricks to defeat a small slam, and by the same token, you have to do your best to make it harder for declarer to make twelve tricks. How many inexperienced players give the slam away on the opening lead? And how many equally inexperienced players return the favour by equally poor declarer play? You’d be surprised. It is especially true in the case of slams that a poor opening lead will allow a slam to make but poor declarer play can allow a poor lead to succeed. Let’s take a look at a deal where two possible slams were bid, albeit not all that often.

Board 3 from Wednesday 24/07/24
Dealer South EW Vul

	QJ93 54 863 KT75
AT2 Q92 J95 Q432		K7 AK873 AKQ A98
	8654 JT6 T742 J6