Bridge Corner
By Gary Mitchell, Sept 22, 2006

The bidding 

I don’t like the rebid of 2 Hearts with that suit, but you really have no choice. North should have five Spades, but again, nothing else is better. When North makes a delayed Heart raise, South heads for slam. Please notice, this is 25 points opposite 10 points, and very few declarers will make this slam. Like I always say, bid close games, stay out of the slams. But I must admit that this one is almost impossible not to bid!

The play

With a Club lead, it looks like you have four Spades, one Diamond, three Clubs, and even if Hearts are 4–2, four Heart tricks, just by conceding a Heart. Ho-hum! Boring! Not!!

You win the opening lead, and cleverly begin to unblock the Spade suit by playing the Queen and Jack. However, West discards a small Club on the second Spade. The problem now is that if you play a Heart to the Queen, cash the top two Spades, and then play on Hearts, East will win and take two Spade tricks. Can you find the solution?

You agreed that you can make this as long as you get four Heart tricks, so before anything else, just play a low Heart from South and North. East is in, but the top Spades are still in dummy. Now, whatever East returns, say a Diamond, win the Ace, over to the Heart Queen, and play the top two Spades, discarding your two Diamonds. Your hand is now high.

Questions: gary@smabridge.com 

Lessons: 152-6351.