SOUTH’s 4NT was Roman Key-card Blackwood, with diamonds temporarily agreed as trumps. The 5H response showed two of the five ‘aces’, where the trump king counts as an ace. How would you play 6NT when West leads the eight of diamonds? South cashed the ace, king and queen of hearts, noting that West had started with two cards in the suit. When he played the remaining winners in diamonds, West showed up with only two cards in that suit too. It was already quite likely that West held a guard on the spade suit. Declarer threw two spades and a club on dummy’s surplus red-suit winners. Meanwhile, what could West throw? He had to retain J-x-x-x in the spade suit, so he was forced to throw the queen of clubs, barring the ace. Declarer cashed the ace and king of spades but the jack did not drop. It was fairly clear at this stage that West’s last three cards were the J-x of spades and the ace of clubs. Declarer exited with the bare king of clubs to West’s ace and West then had to lead a spade into South’s Q-10 tenace. Slam made. Note how valuable it was to play the slam in no-trumps. In 6S you have two unavoidable black-suit losers. In 6D, East can give the defenders two tricks by leading a club through the king.
What will you say now?
Answer
Partner’s jump preference to 3D suggests around 9-11 points. With only 13 points yourself it is not likely that game can be made and you should pass. If your hearts were something more like A-9-5 you would bid 3NT instead. Overbidding is not attractive when you have a singleton in partner’s main suit.
SOUTH’s 4NT was Roman Key-card Blackwood, with diamonds temporarily agreed as trumps. The 5H response showed two of the five ‘aces’, where the trump king counts as an ace. How would you play 6NT when West leads the eight of diamonds? South cashed the ace, king and queen of hearts, noting that West had started with two cards in the suit. When he played the remaining winners in diamonds, West showed up with only two cards in that suit too. It was already quite likely that West held a guard on the spade suit. Declarer threw two spades and a club on dummy’s surplus red-suit winners. Meanwhile, what could West throw? He had to retain J-x-x-x in the spade suit, so he was forced to throw the queen of clubs, barring the ace. Declarer cashed the ace and king of spades but the jack did not drop. It was fairly clear at this stage that West’s last three cards were the J-x of spades and the ace of clubs. Declarer exited with the bare king of clubs to West’s ace and West then had to lead a spade into South’s Q-10 tenace. Slam made. Note how valuable it was to play the slam in no-trumps. In 6S you have two unavoidable black-suit losers. In 6D, East can give the defenders two tricks by leading a club through the king.
Partner’s jump preference to 3D suggests around 9-11 points. With only 13 points yourself it is not likely that game can be made and you should pass. If your hearts were something more like A-9-5 you would bid 3NT instead. Overbidding is not attractive when you have a singleton in partner’s main suit.