Better and Better

12^th December – Board 13: Game All. Dealer North.

I love it when makeable slams can be bid on minimal values and the hand below is a case in point although as always you do have to have supreme faith in partner.

	North: S J 7 6 H J 9 6 D Q 8 5 4 3 C 4 2
West: S 10 2 H A K Q 2 D 10 7 C A J 9 8 5		East: S A 9 5 4 3 H 10 8 7 5 D none C K Q 10 7
	South: S K Q 8 H 4 3 D A K J 9 6 2 C 6 3

West	North	East	South
	No	No	1D
2C	3D	4D	No
4H	No	4S	No
6C	End

There are lots of things to note in the bidding. Firstly West has a difficult choice of bid over 1D because the club suit is a little poorer and a little shorter than it should ideally be but the alternative of ‘double’ would come badly unstuck if partner bid spades. North’s 3D bid is purely preemptive because with a strong hand you have a 3C bid available but it is East whose hand has been getting better and better. Facing a partner who can bid at the two level this is a six-loser hand, worth game at least, and fully justifies a 4D cue-bid. West is charmed and after a couple of cue-bids bids the slam. 6C would score 1370 and in fact North/South do best to save in 6D losing ‘just’ a modest 1100 points.