Bridge

Opening lead — five of spades.

Minor-suit games are comparatively rare because they amount to a prediction that precisely 11 tricks will be made, neither more nor less. In the great majority of cases where there are 11 potential tricks in a minor-suit contract, three notrump will prove easier to make.

However, hands exist where the minor-suit game makes and the notrump game does not. Such hands require accurate bidding, but the ultimate reward is well worth the effort.

Take a case like this one where North-South avoided the treacherous three-notrump contract and wound up scoring a slam instead.

The first key bid was North’s three diamonds. North certainly had the high-card values necessary for a raise to three notrump, but, with a singleton spade, he decided to warn South that a notrump contract could be dangerous.

This message was not lost on South, who next bid three hearts. This action served several purposes. It not only showed heart control, but also implied concern about spades. In addition, it kept the door open to game in notrump while also serving as a cuebid in case North harboured slam aspirations.

North thereupon jumped to five diamonds. This bid clearly implied control of spades in the form of either a singleton or a void, since otherwise North would presumably have taken the easier route to game in notrump. At the same time, the jump to five diamonds indicated extra strength and the willingness to undertake a slam if South had the appropriate values.

South was pleased to accept the invitation. He knew that North had queen-high trump support at best, and so almost surely had the A-K of clubs and king of hearts to account for his previous bids, making the slam an excellent proposition.