As the bridge season winds down to the December Christmas Party and Prizegiving at the Bridge Club there are still a couple of events to be decided in November as per the notice below sent out by the Club :

Novice Pairs — Tuesday 18th November. This is limited to players with fewer than 20 MPs as at the next update on 6th November. So, once the points have been posted for October, and you have fewer than 20 MPs, then you are eligible to play. There will be no sign up sheet, so just come along with your partner (also less than 20 MPs) to compete. We will have two sections that night, one for the novice pairs, and the other for everyone else with fewer than 100 MPs.

Ernie Owen Individual — Friday Evening, 21st November. This was cancelled due to Fay or Gonzalo — can’t remember which! Anyway, it has now been re-scheduled. A sign up sheet will go up next week. We need a minimum of 6 tables (24 players) for the event to take place.

Now to this week’s hand which is not that complicated but is designed to make you …….think!

Dealer South

N/S Vulnerable

After South opened a diamond North bid a heart – when South rebid his diamonds there was no stopping North who checked for Aces and bid the Grand Slam in diamonds !

West led the spade three….plan the play !

The key here is to realise that even if the spade finesse works declarer still needs the heart finesse to work in order to make the slam….and if the heart finesse works …..there is no need to risk the spade finesse !!! So, simple – win the spade Ace, draw trumps and play a heart to the Ace in case there is a singleton queen offside. When no queen appears come to hand with a club and run the heart jack …when this wins declarer can claim with tricks to spare and the losing spade can go on the hearts — slam made !

The full hand :

Easy isn’t it!?

A word on the lead – the rule on leading against a grand slam is to lead passively. That means not leading away from an honour in a suit and the usual safe lead against a grand is a trump – I have some sympathy for West’s lead here as leading a singleton trump may be dangerous – not lot of sympathy but some !!

So, safe leads against Grand Slams and usually aggressive leads against small slams !