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Under-valued!

Have Aces: Go Places.

and “those places” can be in the slam zone. The ingredients would be a reasonable trump fit, shortages and aces. Let’s see:

 

Let’s see we what we would bid. We are playing 5-card majors. We are strong enough to bid to game, maybe even to go higher if our cards gel. Rather than make a bid like the Jacoby 2NT (game forcing with 4-card trump support), this is a “telling” hand, “telling” partner you have trump support, game values and a shortage in clubs.

If our partner likes the sound of our bid, they will either cue-bid or maybe even use Key Card/ Blackwood. So, we bid 4, a splinter saying all of the above….and partner did seem to like it because their next bid was 4, showing a control (ace or king, singleton or void) in that suit.

You have one more important bid to make…and then you can take a rest. You like the sound of partner’s 4, great if it shows K but not so bad even if it was say a singleton. So, rather than sign-off in 4 (trumps are not your best asset!), you can make a cue-bid of your own, 4.

Out came 4NT Key-Card and your 5 response showed 1 or 4. That was all that partner needed to try 6. Take a rest as you are dummy. West led 7.

 

That lead was a little annoying as South would like to ruff three clubs in dummy and perhaps fall back on an even spade break or the diamond finesse if this was not possible.

However, South played the board well. Win in hand and then play A and ruff a club. Next came A and a ruff and then another club ruff. Back to hand with A and ruff South’s fourth club with dummy’s last trump.

A second diamond was ruffed in hand and then A was cashed. West could ruff the spade continuation when they liked but as declarer still had the 9, that was the only trick the defence could take.

Aces opposite singletons in both minor suits. That was the key to this 26 hcp slam. Indeed, the Q was not needed though all the rest of North-Souths high-card points were.

The above was the bidding and play of Wellington’s Anne-Marie Russell and Debbie McLeod but only six other pairs in a field of 20 tables matched them in bidding and making the slam.

 

When aces face shortages, you can think of lots of tricks as long as you have sufficient trumps: the time to be aggressive.

 

A Little Bit of Everything.

That’s one way of describing the hand below.

 

Maybe it would be easier to bid now if East was your partner! You are playing Teams and 1 promises at least a 5-card suit. What is your choice of bids?

Richard Solomon

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