You open light. You are propelled to slam. Partner kindly allows you one loser. Yet, you still seem to be a trick short. What’s to be done
You thought you might be able to bid a lightweight game in getting off the mark with your fine 5 card suit. Yet, partner seizes control and engages you in key-card asking. You, honestly, own up to one even if you cannot see any aces! Next comes the ask for the trump queen(5♦︎) and by bidding 6♦︎, you have shown it all (apart from your void!) with 6 showing both ♠︎Q and ♦︎K.
Your partner thought long and hard before deciding ♠︎6 was enough. Sure was! 5 spade tricks, ♥︎A, an optimistic 4 diamonds and ♣︎A comes to 11 tricks. West started proceedings with a rather aggressive ♥︎J. What’s to be done?
Well, in such dire circumstances, ducking a heart at trick 1 seems a reasonable shot. It does at least give you a little more time to ponder your distress! Maybe the second round of hearts will see the ace ruffed and you can dwell in your misery and get on with the next deal. No, West plays a low heart and you take your ♥︎A with East playing the remaining small outstanding heart. Winning ♥︎A at trick 1 is advisable.
It is time to wake up and start developing your 12th trick. You can do it!
The Magic Dozen.
You need to create that 12th trick and it is by a dummy reversal that you will. After winning ♥︎A, ruff a club low. Then play ♠︎K and a spade to ♠︎10 in dummy. Ruff a second club with ♠︎Q and then play a diamond to the ace. Ruff North’s remaining small club with ♠︎J. These cards remain with declarer having taken 7 tricks and the defence 1.
A diamond to the queen is followed by ♠︎A, ♣︎A and then the diamond suit. No finesse on the third round and South would have a deserved 12 tricks. Of course, ducking a heart at trick 1 is not necessary. Declarer will lose a heart at some point but the second heart loser has vanished by declarer ruffing three clubs in the South hand.
5 trump tricks had become 6 and slam had been made. Declarer had to justify that extra light opening in the play.
Richard Solomon
