Rush Of Blood

6^th June – Board 19: East/West Vul. Dealer South.

We all like to bid makeable slams but must beware that we don’t get carried away just because we hold more points than partner might expect.

	North: S 10 8 6 4 3 H 4 2 D K 10 7 C J 8 5
West: S A J H Q 10 9 8 6 3 D 8 4 C A K 10		East: S K Q 9 H A K J D J 5 2 C Q 7 3 2
	South: S 7 5 2 H 7 5 D A Q 9 6 3 C 9 6 4

West	North	East	South
			No
1H	No	2C	No
2H	No	4H	End

I know that East hand looks jolly inviting after partner has opened the bidding but the reality is that after partner makes a minimum rebid it is still a seven loser hand. In any event it is hard to see how to progress safely and Galloping Blackwood is certainly not the answer and should never be bid with an unbid suit of two or more losers – diamonds in this case. Here once you get the response of 5S – two key cards and the queen of trumps – you are already too high. Of course that is from a purist’s point of view because in actual fact the slam was bid and made when North failed – understandably – to find the diamond lead. What was strange however was that the hand was played in a heart contract at every table and without exception everybody made exactly twelve tricks. Why is that strange? Well because without a diamond lead there are thirteen tricks ‘on top’ once the clubs break and on a diamond lead there are two obvious losers.