Bridge

North-South bid to an optimistic Six No-Trumps on today’s hand

Although declarer appreciated that his extra trick needed to come from the heart suit, or possibly the hearts in conjunction with a squeeze, South missed an extra chance that, as the cards lay, would have brought home his slam.

When South chose to open the bidding on his eleven count, nothing could stop North from driving to slam, and the final contract was Six No-Trumps.

West led a diamond and, with ten tricks on top, South made an immediate start on hearts, winning the diamond with the ace in hand and finessing the queen. When this lost to East’s bare king there was no further chance for the contract.

Even had the heart king been onside declarer must lose a heart at some stage.

Suppose that, instead of coming to hand to take the finesse, he had won the lead in dummy and led a low heart away from his ace-queen. As the cards lie, East is forced to win. (And, had East originally held Kx, it would have taken strong nerves to duck when the small heart was led.) Irrespective of what is returned, South is now in business. The red suit winners are played off and West is subjected to a squeeze in clubs and hearts as, on the last diamond he is unable to hold onto four clubs and three hearts.