A Study in Scarlet by Foxymoron

"What do you make of this traveller?", asked Holmes, arriving at the Baker St Bridge Club, 221b Baker Street.

"Very odd," replied Watson. "It must have been mis-boarded, I presume. EW made slam (6NT, 6H or 6D) at all tables except one in which NS made 7NT and one where 6NT went one off by EW."

"On the contrary, the result was correct." "But did you not notice that EW were Lord Dunsany and his wife Lady Beatrice Child Villiers?"

"Good gracious, how did you deduce that?", responded Watson.

"Elementary," responded Holmes, "Lady Villiers has a bad habit of showing her hand to her partner before the opening lead. Also the writing of 7NT= is of one who is an expert in Calligraphy, and a writer of some 90 books would have that skill. And he always scores, whichever seat he is in. They clearly reached 6NT by East and West showed her hand to her partner before the final pass."

Holmes continued: "Now South, a chap called Charlie, bid 7NT and was entitled to treat every West card as a major penalty card. It is a simple matter now, Watson, for you to construct the whole deal. 7NT cannot be beaten even by best defence. And East does not have any penalty cards."

So, over to you. Solution after Xmas.

Carelessness by Foxymoron

Oscar (Wilde, not the Owl) might have said that to go off in one slam may be regarded as a misfortune, but to go off in two looks like carelessness. But this was not the case on Tuesday, despite the declarer's claim that his brain was not working. In one of the two slams he correctly played for a 2-2 break in trumps with nine trumps missing the queen. But on this occasion one of the opponents had Qxx. 

The other hand was particularly unlucky:

I am impressed by the new design on Bridgewebs, above, which is very attractive. North-South reached 6NT at one table by North, which is a bit pushy with a combined count of only 28 points. After a club lead won by North, however, declarer can make. He should cash a top heart, playing for his normal best chance of the queen dropping doubleton. East plays the queen, perforce. A Woman of No Importance, one might think, but not so. Now crossing to the ace of clubs and leading the nine of hearts is the right line. West should duck, of course, but if declarer thinks East is not capable of false-carding from ❤️QT doubleton he should run it. It only remains to guess the spades, and declarer will make one spade, five hearts, two diamonds and four clubs, using the ace of diamonds as an entry for the hearts.

Unluckily, at the table of the declarer in 6NT, East fished out the nine of diamonds for his opening lead. The effect of this was deadly, as whichever hand declarer wins in, the contract can no longer be made. If he wins in North, cashes the ace of hearts, crosses to the ace of clubs and leads the nine of hearts, West ducks and declarer can get to dummy with the ace of diamonds for the winning hearts, but then cannot make a spade trick without losing a trick to the jack of diamonds.