Slams don't play

Slams cause excitement and money or points to change hands at all forms of bridge. But those pounds or prizes almost always come through bidding rather than play. For declarer has little discretion in slam play and fewer options for the defence too: a finesse is taken, it wins or it does not, a critical suit lies well – or it does not. There is much more scope for declarer, and more for the defence to go wrong, in game contracts. This underlies why in top-level play competitors are aggressive in bidding games, sometimes ridiculously so, but conservative towards slams.

An example from the recent Ipswich versus Framlingham match:

  • KQ2
  • J8
  • Q632
  • AKJ4
N
W
E
S
  • A87
  • A7642
  • AK4
  • Q9

Three out of four pairs identified their combined 33 HCP, put their trust in the weight of high cards and tried six no-trump. But diamonds were not 3-3 and there was nothing declarer could do for a twelfth trick. West held the 'wrong' red knave but who has a bidding system to discover that?

Where would you like to play these cards?

Love All

  • Q62
  • 853
  • 5
  • AJ10732
N
W
E
S
  • A97
  • AKJ9
  • AK
  • KQ85

At Brighton our team-mates reached the excellent six clubs and for once there was something in the play. Winning the diamond lead, declarer drew trumps and cashed the other top diamond, throwing a heart. He next played two top hearts, hoping to see the queen or ten. When he didn't, he ruffed the third round in case they were 3-3. None of those options having matured, he tried a spade to the queen. Out of luck there too he was one down. Surely the opponents would duplicate the result?

At our table West opened three clubs. This led East to put a substantial gloss on matters: was it too much to hope for seven clubs opposite, especially missing the king and queen? That together with West being long in East's shortest suit and so able to ruff a diamond, provoked him to bid seven clubs after checking for the missing ace. The play here was simpler as declarer couldn't go wrong:

  • K843
  • Q1062
  • 8632
  • 9
  • Q62
  • 853
  • 5
  • AJ10732
N
W
E
S
  • A97
  • AKJ9
  • AK
  • KQ85
  • J105
  • 74
  • QJ10974
  • 64

The heart finesse has to work: best is to cash a top honour first (in case of singleton queen) and then finesse the knave. If the ten falls you repeat the play, if it does not, cash the spade ace, run the trumps and try the hearts from the top. As you can see, that is necessary on the actual lie – North has no discard holding both the long heart and the spade king.

At the table, North led a spade and West ran it to her queen. That now created a losing option, of ruffing out the heart queen but West was not distracted and after much frowning, took the heart finesse – grand slam made. There, I said that playing slams was easier than bidding them!

Published Saturday 30.Aug.2008