Slams 07

Here is was another slam that was often bid in No Trumps though it would have been more comfortable in clubs.

Board 14 from Thursday 13/02/2025
Dealer E Nil Vul

	A85 AK5 KQ53 A62
J76 87632 T94 T9		KT432 J J876 QJ3
	Q9 QT94 A2 K8754

When North opens 2NT the most likely result is a NS slam, 6NT, and with East on lead, 6NT is an easy make because the spade lead from East is harmless and the clubs break. But this deal gives us some interesting declarer play exercises. Firstly, take a look at 6NT played by SOUTH and a spade lead from West. As an exercise in squeezes, take a look at the automatic squeeze that develops after declarer plays low from dummy and East wins the king and returns a spade: when declarer plays on hearts East’s first three discards are easy, all the spades. But when declarer plays ace of diamonds and the two to the queen, the ace of spades now inflicts the final squeeze on poor East. Dummy either makes the fourth diamond or declarer makes the third club. An easy squeeze as long as declarer gets the timing right and keeps track of the minor suits.

Now for another interesting exercise. Deep Finesse tells us that 6H also can be made! Can you work out how? I suspect that West will make a heart trick, and East seemingly has a club trick. There must be magic in the declarer play, and I suspect that the magic in the play is to give West the trump trick and East the club trick, but both at the same time, at trick thirteen! But I might be wrong!

When you tire of trying to solve it yourself click here to see BSOL's elegant solution - Ed