Level Headed

30th June – Board 4. Game All. Dealer West.

I’m not aware of any pair who got anywhere near the right contract on the hand shown below but with a little science I think par could have been achieved.

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

West	North	East	South
No	1NT	No	2NT
No	3C	No	4S
No	5C	No	5D
No	6D	End

Somehow it’s hard to remain level-headed when confronted with an eight-card suit but South here should certainly be thinking in terms of a diamond slam after his partner’s opening bid. So start with 2NT, a transfer to diamonds, when North will ‘break’ to 3C showing a top honour to at least three. Now South should splinter with 4S, showing shortage and slam interest, at which point North can hardly stop short of a slam – and even a grand slam is possible which North can explore with a 5C cue-bid. With nothing more to say South would probably call it a day, but not North of course.