North (Dlr) ♠ AK3 ♥ KT76 1 AT6 ♦ ♣ AK9 South pulls a major fast one West East Bidding analysis: Q865 T974 here: she has 3 Queens and wants to know ♠ ♠ A983 542 North has 4 Aces, ♥ ♥ about the ♠Q. She knows 74 93 to 4NT 1430, so ♦ ♦ not 1, with her 5♣ response 532 JT64 her long Diamonds will take lots of tricks. Off ♣ ♣ one Ace, she bids the 6NT cold slam. South J2 the Declarer Play Options: ♠ “All I can lose is missing ♥A: QJ ♥ great bidding, South!” KQJ852 ♦ Q87 The only trick available to E/W is the Defensive Strategy: ♣ North leads a Heart, all the rest ♥A. Whether they lead it or of the tricks are cold for 6NT. North QJ63 ♠ KQJ92 ♥ 2 5 ♦ 974 ♣ West East T972 5 North ups her hand Bidding analysis: ♠ ♠ T6 A83 evaluation once a major fit is found, so goes ♥ ♥ 872 JT643 on to find the Spade slam; Hearts would ♦ ♦ J852 QT63 work just as well; maybe even better. ♣ ♣ South AK84 Declarer Play Options: (Dclr) ♠ “Seems pretty straightforward: 754 West probably had only 2 Hearts after the lead and ♥ ♥T ♥6 AKQ9 after winner. But that set up my Hearts for a ♦ East’s ♥A AK pitch of my a 4 1 trump ♣ losing Diamond. And … oopps – split! But 12 tricks is 12 tricks. We actually make 6NT.” 4 trumps, so maybe I Defensive Strategy: West: “I have can get something going by leading my short suit? My partner has an Ace, I know, because they stopped at 6.”
1 North (Dlr) ♠ AK3 ♥ KT76 ♦ AT6 ♣ AK9 West ♠ Q865 ♥ A983 ♦ 74 ♣ 532 East ♠ T974 ♥ 542 ♦ 93 ♣ JT64 Bidding analysis: South pulls a major fast one here: she has 3 Queens and wants to know about the ♠Q. She knows North has 4 Aces, not 1, with her 5♣ response to 4NT 1430, so her long Diamonds will take lots of tricks. Off one Ace, she bids the 6NT cold slam. South ♠ J2 ♥ QJ ♦ KQJ852 ♣ Q87 Declarer Play Options: “All I can lose is the missing ♥A: great bidding, South!” Defensive Strategy: The only trick available to E/W is the ♥A. Whether they lead it or North leads a Heart, all the rest of the tricks are cold for 6NT. 2 North ♠ QJ63 ♥ KQJ92 ♦ 5 ♣ 974 West ♠ T972 ♥ T6 ♦ 872 ♣ J852 East ♠ 5 ♥ A83 ♦ JT643 ♣ QT63 Bidding analysis: North ups her hand evaluation once a major fit is found, so goes on to find the Spade slam; Hearts would work just as well; maybe even better. South ♠ AK84 (Dclr) ♥ 754 ♦ AKQ9 ♣ AK Declarer Play Options: “Seems pretty straightforward: West probably had only 2 Hearts after the ♥T lead and ♥6 after East’s ♥A winner. But that set up my Hearts for a pitch of my losing Diamond. And … oopps a 4 – 1 trump split! But 12 tricks is 12 tricks. We actually make 6NT.” Defensive Strategy: West: “I have 4 trumps, so maybe I can get something going by leading my short suit? My partner has an Ace, I know, because they stopped at 6.”
StrongHandBidding.docx