A AK1076 104 AJ752

1

Can we have a slam? Sure, give him Qxxx and the AK and either two clubs or three to the 109, or any four, and we are big favorites. A grand is even possible, but he'd have to have perfect cards, and I'm not willing to try for it. On the other hand, I don't have to. We play a useful convention. If I bid 2 and he bids 2, 4 by me is a 5-5 slam try. He should then know if he has useful cards. I think I'll sign off over a Last Train 4, but if he moves past game, slam should be good.

With other partners, I can bid 3 directly to show length and interest in slam, but we are a new partnership and haven't discussed that sequence. I am a little leery of trying it, but I know we have discussed the other sequence, because I read it in our notes this morning.

So I try 2 and jump to 4. Partner bids Blackwood, finds we are off an ace and the trump queen, and subsides in 5. Oh, well. Still, 11 tricks should be easy.

Or maybe not. Partner post-alerts 4 and explains it as a splinter. Whoops. Double whoops—that means the hand that got him excited is the worst possible hand for me. I hope he has four small clubs. I correct his explanation for the opponents, and he insists that he's right and that I'm nuts. I don't see how this is going to help, so I let it drop, but later I show him page 2 of our system notes where this sequence is covered.

The opening lead is a small diamond, and dummy is as bad as I feared, or maybe even worse.

	KJ42 J98 KQ4 983
	A AK1076 104 AJ752

CHO	Me
Pass	1
2	2
2	4
4	4NT
5	5
Pass

10

I put up the K, which, of course, loses to the A, and a small spade comes back. Looks like my bidding helped them more than it helped us.

How can I manage 11 tricks? I absolutely need two dummy entries, so I guess the only chance I have is to find the Q doubleton. If that happens and clubs behave, I have 11 tricks. A thought occurs to me—if that's really the layout and the Q is doubleton offside, I shall make 5 and declarer at the other table might well go down in 4! Clearly his best chance is for clubs 3-2 and no heart loser, so he'll use his entry for a trump finesse.

I see nothing better, so I cash two high hearts. Hot dog! The Q comes tumbling down on my left. Visions of gaining 13 IMPs are swirling in my head. I cross to the J, run the 9 and pray. Unsuccessfully. LHO wins the 10 and continues with the K. I concede down one.

Maybe it's not so bad after all. At the other table, maybe declarer will still go down in game. It was not to be. My teammate, on a far less revealing auction, led the K. They had a signalling mishap, and when he continued with a second club, declarer slammed down the top trumps to avoid a possible club ruff. He was gratified with an overtrick. I guess the 13 IMPs were there after all, just not in the direction I had imagined.