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Needing a huge final round to qualify for the next stage of the event, declarer punted an ambitious slam. Could he bring it home?
Bidding
Dealer: North
N/S Game
Bidding and making 6C would have scored 60 per cent, but N/S needed more, hence South’s precipitous conversion to the higher-scoring contract.
East’s 2H was weak: 6-card suit, 4-9pts. South’s 3H showed an opening hand with something in hearts.
In 6C, declarer can, if required, establish diamonds, discarding a losing spade on the fifth one. But, what can be done in 6NT?
West leads 7♥. Declarer looks at seven club tricks, the diamond and spade finesses, and A♥. He can take both finesses, but they must both be right and, here, they are not. Instead, knowing that East holds six hearts, declarer should instead apply pressure by playing off all his clubs. East is pressurised too, but study West: he must find five discards.
Two hearts, one spade, and one diamond are easy but, on dummy’s last club, West is under the cosh: If he throws his final heart, communications are severed, and declarer will surely read him for ♠Kx. If, as happened, he throws a second diamond, when the finesse is taken, all the diamonds become good. Perhaps a top defender foresees the pressure and bears his K♠ early, but against a peer, that may well not work either.
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