Just In Time

13^th March – Board 14: Love All. Dealer East.

I have a sneaking sympathy for anyone who might have got to the heart slam on the board shown below even though it is a terrible contract and would not make on the lie of the cards. But I think the auction might just stop in time albeit at the five level and that is not a comfortable contract either.

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

West	North	East	South
		No	1D
No	1H	No	3D
No	3H	No	4C
No	4D	No	5C
No	5H	End

3H is game forcing after partner’s jump rebid and 4C is a cue-bid in support of hearts. 4D and 5C are further cue-bids but now North knows his partner has a singleton club and might well be concerned about ways to avoid losing two clubs as well as the obvious hole in the trump suit. Indeed that is the case, for on a club lead, say, declarer should aim to ruff two clubs in dummy. He has to do that once the queen doesn’t fall on the third round and must now think about the best way not to lose three trump tricks. If the adverse trumps break 2-2 it doesn’t matter what he does but if they are 3-1 he can cope as long as the singleton is not the three. Leading a low heart – which would fail here – is fine if the singleton is the jack or the king while leading the queen works against either a singleton jack or nine. Leading the ten would only work against a singleton nine and must be the worst shot. Strangely, with a trump fewer, 5D is much easier.