In a team-of-four match, one West passed as dealer. South opened two clubs in fourth seat and showed his spades next. North liked his hand, and they got to six spades.
West led the queen of clubs. Declarer won, unblocked his ace of diamonds, led a trump to dummy’s nine and pitched clubs on the K-Q of diamonds. He intended to finesse twice in hearts — and was annoyed to go down.
OFFSIDE
In the replay, West opened two hearts, weak. North-South reached slam again on the auction shown, and West led the queen of clubs. Here, South knew the K-J of hearts were offside. After discarding clubs on the K-Q of diamonds, he ruffed a club, led a trump to dummy, ruffed a club and drew trumps.
Then, at the 11th trick, South led the queen of hearts. West took the king and had to return a heart to South’s A-10. Making six!
Many players would have opened two hearts as West, but preempts are a two-edged sword. West’s bid told South how to make his slam.
DAILY QUESTION
You hold: S K 9 H 7 5 3 D K Q 4 2 C 9 8 6 5. Your partner opens one spade, you respond 1NT, he bids two diamonds and you raise to three diamonds. Partner then bids three spades. What do you say?
ANSWER: You had little to spare for your invitational raise to three diamonds, but partner’s three spades shows six spades and extra strength and is forcing. With a minimum and six spades, he would have rebid two spades. Bid four spades.
West dealer
Neither side vulnerable
NORTH
S K 9
H 7 5 3
D K Q 4 2
C 9 8 6 5
WEST
S 5
H K J 8 6 4 2
D 10 9 6
C Q J 10
EAST
S 8 7 4 2
H 9
D J 8 7 5 3
C K 7 2
SOUTH
S A Q J 10 6 3
H A Q 10
D A
C A 4 3
West North East South
2 H Pass Pass Dbl
Pass 3 D Pass 4 S
Pass 5 S Pass 6 S
All Pass
Opening lead — C Q
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Originally published at Frank Stewart