Aces On Bridge

“Ten thousand difficulties do not make one doubt.” -- Cardinal Newman

In matchpoint pairs, the North hand should probably simply raise one no-trump to six. It is possible to imagine hands where a minor-suit slam might be better -- indeed, six clubs today might be best, but if you simply look at the North and South cards, you might feel a good case could be made for six no-trump. If diamonds break, or if you can guess who has four diamonds, you are home free. In real life, you play slam on the heart 10 lead; now you can place East with the heart ace, and the contract is 100 percent certain on careful play.

To make your slam, you must play low from dummy on the first trick. East has to withhold his ace, or you have 12 top tricks. So your heart king wins, and at this point you cash four clubs and three spades, throwing a heart from hand.

You have no real clue as to which of the defenders might be short in diamonds, but you can cover your bases by next taking the diamond ace-king. If diamonds were 3-2 or West had jack-fourth of diamonds, you would be able to claim 12 tricks.

But when worst comes to worst, and East shows up with the long diamonds, you have reduced everyone to three cards. East has had no option but to have already come down to the bare heart ace and the guarded diamond jack. So at this point, a heart to the queen and ace sees East forced to lead away from the diamond jack.

ANSWER: Assuming Wolff Signoff is not in use, your partner’s second call is natural and forcing, so you should just give preference to spades. If there is a slam in the works, it may easily be in diamonds, but your job is to let partner know about the fit in the major and let him decide on level once he knows the strain to play in.