If you have one chance to make your contract, it is better than nothing. But it is even better if you have two chances to get home — as in this deal.
How would you plan the play in six spades after West leads the club king?
North's response of two no-trump was the Jacoby Forcing Raise. (Whatever your system, you need an immediate response to one of a major that says you have at least four-card support and game-going values.) South's three-heart rebid showed a singleton or void. Four diamonds was a control-bid (cue-bid) promising the diamond ace and slam interest while denying the club ace. Two doses of Blackwood led to six spades.
You will be all right if either the diamond finesse is working, or the spades are 2-1 and the hearts are 4-3 -- a combined 74 percent. Leave the diamond finesse on the back burner.
To establish a second heart trick, you need four dummy entries: three for heart ruffs and one to get to the new heart winner. You have the heart ace, diamond ace and two spades. But there isn't a moment to lose.
Win with your club ace, play a heart to dummy's ace, ruff a heart, lead a spade to dummy, and ruff a heart high. If an opponent discards, fall back on the diamond finesse. Here, though, you return to dummy with a spade, ruff another heart, play a diamond to the ace, and cash the heart jack, discarding your remaining club. Then you concede one diamond trick and claim. Partner should be smiling happily at you.
How would you plan the play in six spades after West leads the club king?
North's response of two no-trump was the Jacoby Forcing Raise. (Whatever your system, you need an immediate response to one of a major that says you have at least four-card support and game-going values.) South's three-heart rebid showed a singleton or void. Four diamonds was a control-bid (cue-bid) promising the diamond ace and slam interest while denying the club ace. Two doses of Blackwood led to six spades.
You will be all right if either the diamond finesse is working, or the spades are 2-1 and the hearts are 4-3 -- a combined 74 percent. Leave the diamond finesse on the back burner.
To establish a second heart trick, you need four dummy entries: three for heart ruffs and one to get to the new heart winner. You have the heart ace, diamond ace and two spades. But there isn't a moment to lose.
Win with your club ace, play a heart to dummy's ace, ruff a heart, lead a spade to dummy, and ruff a heart high. If an opponent discards, fall back on the diamond finesse. Here, though, you return to dummy with a spade, ruff another heart, play a diamond to the ace, and cash the heart jack, discarding your remaining club. Then you concede one diamond trick and claim. Partner should be smiling happily at you.