25th November – Board 5: N/S Vul. Dealer North.
The definition of a good slam is one that makes and if that is the case then several pairs did well to reach six spades on the featured hand. I am not convinced however that it is a good proposition, needing as it does trumps to break 2-2 and for something nice to happen in either clubs or hearts as well. On a trump lead declarer has little choice but to try and set up a long club for an eventual diamond discard from dummy, with the losing diamond in hand then being ruffed. On the king of hearts lead declarer has another option, namely trying to establish a long heart in dummy for the eventual discard of a diamond from hand. He could win the ace of hearts, ruff a heart, enter dummy with a trump and ruff another heart. Dummy is reached once again with a trump – pulling all outstanding enemy trumps in the process – and another heart ruffed, leaving a winner in dummy. Finally dummy will be reached one way or another via the club suit and the winning heart played allowing declarer to jettison the three of diamonds. All lines work as it happens but my feeling is that the odds are way short of the requirements for the slam to be considered a good one. Nevertheless the following auction does not look unreasonable I have to confess:
West
|
North
|
East
|
South
|
|
2C*
|
No
|
2D**
|
No
|
2S
|
No
|
3S
|
No
|
4NT
|
No
|
5D
|
No
|
5H***
|
No
|
6S
|
End
|
|
|
|
* Playing weak 2’s this shows an Acol 2 in any suit or 19-20 balanced.
** Relay.
*** Asking about the queen of trumps. The answer shows that card but denies holding another king.
Hmmm. Are you sure about that 2C opening bid? Why not 1S - 2H - 2NT(forcing to game) - 3S (showing the 3 card support) - 4NT etc?
ReplyDeleteChris A.
I have no strong feelings about the opening but the hand seems to me to be worth an opening two in whichever way you do it. However if you do open 1S and partner replies 2H you must not bid 2NT because although that is forcing to game it also shows a balanced hand. Surely 3C is best? The trouble is that partner might give preference to spades now with only a doubleton, say he held SQx HAQxxx DJxx CJxx. Now 6S is truly awful. The good thing about opening 2C - or 2S if you are playing strong two's - is that you get positive support from the start and that is what you want to hear. As I said it is likely that momentum would carry you to the slam but it is against the odds.
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