BRIDGE JACK STOCKEN

Today’s hand from an online pairs game sees South bidding straight to6 ♣, giving no information away about her hand. West could have made a more disruptive overcall of 3♥ not vulnerable but this would not have stopped South in the mood she was in.

North’s 2NT would normally show 8+ points but it would have been a shame to pass with six points and a useful heart stopper.

Cover up the North South and East hands for a moment and ask yourself what card would you have led against 6♣ as West.

If you led the queen of hearts then declarer would have won with her ace and led the king of clubs. East wins the ace and switches rapidly to the queen of spades. Declarer would win the ace, draw East’s remaining trump and unblock the ace-king of diamonds.

Next declarer would go to dummy with the king of hearts and play the queen of diamonds, disposing of the losing three of spades. 6♣ made without catching breath.

Those who made an attacking lead against 6♣, led the two of spades. East contributed the jack and declarer won with the ace. Declarer could not afford to lose the lead now so could not draw trumps and instead unblocked the ace-king of diamonds as before.

Declarer went to dummy with the king of hearts and played the queen of diamonds as before, letting go the three of spades from hand. However, West only started with two diamonds so ruffed the queen of diamonds and returned a heart for East to trump. Unlucky, but that was two down.

“Lead aggressively against an aggressively bid slam” is the motto, so it is fine to lead an ace without the king and also fine to lead from a king against a suit slam. These leads we would avoid against any game contract or lower.

The logic of this effective motto for the opening leader is that most slams containing long suits will succeed unless the defence get their tricks quickly.