21.05.13 Board 1

My partner, East, opened a Benji 2 clubs on this board. South made a rather fanciful overcall of 2 spades. I bid 3 hearts, and partner bid 4 diamonds. We then reached 6 diamonds after a RKCB sequence.
The 3-0 diamond split was a slight problem, but a diamond finesse and a spade ruff enabled the contract to be made.
I was surprised that we were the only pair to have found this slam. I invite readers to contribute their ideas for a good bidding sequence (with or without the intervention).

D NV North ♠ 10 5 2 ♥ J 9 3 2 ♦ Q 8 3 ♣ 9 8 5
NV West ♠ 7 4 ♥ A Q 10 8 5 ♦ 7 6 5 ♣ A 6 3	Board1	NV East ♠ A Q 8 ♥ - ♦ A K J 10 9 4 2 ♣ K 10 7
	NV South ♠ K J 9 6 3 ♥ K 7 6 4 ♦ - ♣ Q J 4 2	3 17 10 10

07.05.13 Board 23

"Careless Defence Costs Tricks"

This was board 23 of the EBU Spring Simultaneous Pairs on 7th May.

Brian Senior's commentary correctly states that 6 spades cannot be made because of the identical N-S distribution. However, at Woodberry 8 out of 11 pairs in spade contracts were allowed to make 12 tricks (6 of these were in the slam).

How could this have happened?

On a club lead from West, South should draw trumps and eliminate clubs. Declarer may elect to take a heart finesse at this stage, but life is more difficult for the defence if declarer plays ace and another diamond immediately.

West must win this trick, because if East wins he will be endplayed.

If West now leads the 10H, North will cover, and the contract will be made by a finesse of the 8H.

So West instead leads 5H. North plays low, and East must play 9H to defeat the contract.

If you got this wrong, console yourself with the thought that this was a pairs competition. If you had been playing teams, a 17 IMP swing would be likely to have cost the match!

V North ♠ K Q J 9 3 ♥ Q 4 3 ♦ A 8 ♣ A K 9
V West ♠ 2 ♥ 10 7 5 ♦ K 10 9 6 2 ♣ J 10 8 7	Board23	V East ♠ 5 4 ♥ K 9 6 2 ♦ Q J 7 4 ♣ 6 4 3
	D V South ♠ A 10 8 7 6 ♥ A J 8 ♦ 5 3 ♣ Q 5 2	19 6 4 11