This ‘slam’ hand was played at X-Clubs on a recent Friday. I say ‘slam’ because I believe that in most first grade club sessions a slam should be bid at least half the time. Alas, not even close, and when it was bid, hardly ever made. 6S is the slam that I would be bidding but unfortunately, it does not make if the defence know how to defend, though there is a subtle way that 6S could be made if declarer can see all the cards, as can Deep Finesse. But DF can never get defenders to go wrong, and can only play assuming every player plays and defends perfectly. As the cards lie, perfect play means that 6NT can be made and 6S can not. But read on!
Board 18 from Friday 21/06/24
Dealer East NS Vul
This slam is worth reviewing for more reasons than finding the only sensible opening lead, which not every pair that defended 6S did. Nearly every West led the queen of diamonds against 6S, but some made the basic error of trying the doubleton heart. The doubleton heart lead is futile against a freely bid 6S, because if you lead a doubleton, you are usually looking for a ruff. That means partner must be able to get the lead on the second round of hearts, which is almost impossible given the bidding and the West hand. If the heart lead succeeds, 6S will be down at least two, overkill against a slam. I could only justify a heart lead against 4S bid so tentatively that West could hope to defeat 4S, with a heart trick for partner, a heart ruff, the trump queen, and a club or diamond. But the opening lead against a game and a slam must often be different and based on expectation rather than blind hope.
Why does 6NT make but 6S fail? The answer should be easy to see, given that in both cases West will lead the queen of diamonds. In 6NT all declarer has to do to make twelve tricks is to ensure four spade tricks, four heart tricks, two diamonds, and two clubs, by unblocking the hearts and keeping the diamond king in dummy as an entry, then play on spades, losing to the queen with West. Sadly, there were many Souths in 3NT who got nowhere near twelve tricks, and most of those who did bid 6NT also failed. Some consolation for those who bid 6S and failed, given the unfortunate layout. But here is the way South should play 6S given the queen of diamonds opening lead, and that is also the only way to play if you had Deep Finesse’s ability to see all the hands. Win the diamond lead in hand and lead a low spade towards dummy. You can afford to lose one spade. West will play low, why not? The queen won’t run away. Declarer now wins the ten in dummy and after two more rounds, unblocks the hearts and gives West the fourth trump, claiming the rest.
JT5
QJT2
K42
T72