Slams 14
Put yourself in the NORTH seat. You have landed in 6H. This has been in part thanks to your own bidding as well as partner’s great cooperation. East leads the QUEEN OF CLUBS. What thoughts are going through your head and how will you play the slam?
Board 11 Dealer S Nil Vul
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K2
AQJ9
QJ743
A8Some good news: on a club lead, 6NT won’t make. The bad news: on any other lead, 6NT will also make. At the table, start by counting your tricks. Unless spades break 5-1 you have five spades and four hearts, plus two aces. That is so whether you are in No Trumps or hearts. But in a heart contract you have additional chances because you have trumps for ruffing. The easy way to an extra trick in 6H is a diamond ruff in dummy. Win the club ace, a diamond to the ace, the H3 to hand and a diamond ruff with the king; then draw trumps and five spade tricks later adds up to an easy slam.
Of course Deep Finesse will make seven because it will be the QUEEN of diamonds that DF will lead and either ruff out East’s ace or if East is smart enough and does not cover, DF discards on the DQ and then can ruff the third diamond, which West can’t over ruff. What a crazy risk to take if you are in 6H but leading the queen with the intention to ruff can often catch a not so savvy East out, who might cover even though there are no losers to throw on the diamond queen!
In a high powered match point game, if declarer can count twelve tricks in No Trumps and believes that most other EW pairs will bid to 6NT and make, there may be no option but for declarer to try and make 7H, having concluded that the overtrick in 6H is the only way to get the top match points.
That might happen in the world champs but, at XClubs, just play it safe and make your slam, don’t worry about anyone else!
