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Jan’s Day: A “Grand” Victory.

As we indicated yesterday, today’s article is not from a period gone by but features a deal from last weekend’s Inter-Provincials. No matter who you are, there is a nervous wait for dummy to appear when you are about to play a grand slam. A wish maybe that it is an easy make? Relief, perhaps when they do not lead an ace? Well, you are in 7NT!

No quick claim at the sight of dummy but at least you can count to 13, if….

 

1NT was 15-17 with 3 asking about South’s majors. 3 showed at least 1x 4 card major. 3 showed 4 spades and 3NT 4 hearts.

“Thanks, partner. Nice dummy.” You rather mean it. 13 tricks are needed. Your cause may or may not be helped when East discards a club at trick 1! Plan to make 13.

Jan Cormack

"We all know how the heart starts pumping before dummy appears when your partner suddenly throws you into the dizzy heights of a grand slam! Faith Tislevoll found herself in this situation after she opened a 15-17 1 NT
as South and partner (no names mentioned) had a rush of blood to the brain and bid 7NT's. All Faith had shown was no 5 card major with a 4 card heart suit!

 

South led the 10.  I have seen very few hands where the hapless defender sitting East is basically squeezed at trick ONE.  They pitched a club and Faith played another diamond, East a further club.

Faith went to dummy with the A, then A and the fourth diamond. What can poor East do?  She threw a spade. 

Of course, declarer is still not out of the woods requiring the heart finesse which worked thanks to the10 in Faith's hand.  4 spades, 3 hearts, 4 diamonds, 2 clubs and 13 tricks. 

When all the team appeared, Faith could be seen with both hands raised in a jubilant victory gesture and there was a big smile on her no name partner’s face.”

There was an even bigger smile at the end of the Women’s Inter-Provincials with Faith’s Auckland-Northland team the victors by over 31 vps.

 

Decision Defence

 

The bidding was natural with 2NT showing 12-14.  

As is so often the case, you do not seem to have got off to a great lead, 5 (leads 4^th highest etc) went to dummy’s jack, 7 from your partner (reverse count and attitude) and declarer’s ace. Next comes T from South which holds the trick. South plays a second club. Which card do you discard and why?

Richard Solomon

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