If you need a dozen, find that dozen

By Phillip Alder

Mignon Mclaughlin, a journalist and author who died in 1983, said, “I’m glad I don’t have to explain to a man from Mars why each day I set fire to dozens of little pieces of paper and then put them in my mouth.”

Inexperienced players tend to shy away from slams. But they are often easier to play than lower-level contracts because you can afford to lose the lead at most once. It is usually best to count your winners and hope you see a dozen, regular or baker’s. When you are a trick or two shy, remember the common ways of gaining extras: ruffing in the shorter trump hand or establishing a long suit.

Which applies in this deal? South is in six spades, and West leads the club two.

Often it is better to open one diamond with 4-4 in the minors and minimum opening strength. But here one club is preferable because South has no rebid problem and it maximizes the chance of finding a fit. When South rebid one spade, North did not stand on ceremony, using Blackwood, either traditional or Roman Key Card.

South sees 10 top tricks: four spades, two hearts and four clubs. Two more winners are readily available via heart ruffs in hand.

Declarer should take the opening lead, cash dummy’s heart ace, ruff a heart high (good technique, even if unnecessary here), return to dummy with a trump, ruff another heart high, draw trumps and claim.

This is a variety of dummy reversal because usually you ruff losers in the dummy, not in hand — it is a reversal of the typical technique.