BRIDGE

This week’s deals have treated a basic skill to which some players seem averse: setting up a long suit. Cover the East-West cards. Plan the play at seven spades when West leads the jack of diamonds.

In a team match, both declarers went down. One inexplicably tried for his contract by ruffing clubs in dummy. He failed when the clubs broke badly. The other declarer drew trumps and took the K-Q of hearts. When West discarded, declarer lacked the entries to set up and cash the long hearts.

South should go after the hearts but must be careful in case they break 4-1. South cashes the king of spades at Trick Two, then takes the king of hearts. He leads a trump to dummy’s ten, discards his queen of hearts on the king of diamonds and ruffs a heart with a high trump.

South can then lead a trump to the ace and ruff a heart. He takes the ace of clubs, ruffs a club in dummy and wins the last three tricks with good hearts.

Did you find the play to make the grand slam?

Question: You hold: ♠ A 1032 ♥ A87542 ♦ KQ ♣ 8. Your partner opens one diamond, you bid one heart and he raises to three hearts. What do you say?

Answer: You probably have a grand slam. A typical hand for partner such as 5 4, KJ93,AJ965,AKshould produce 13 tricks. Bid 4NT, Blackwood, planning to bid seven hearts if he has two aces. “Key Card Blackwood,” in which the king of trumps is treated as a fifth ace, might be helpful here. North dealer Both sides vulnerable