Going through some old clippings, my friend Marty Bergen recently found this deal. Playing with me in the 1980's, he held:
Q43
A108765
A
AK2.
At favorable vulnerability, he opened 1 and I responded 4 (a Splinter bid, showing short clubs and a GF 4+card heart raise). Marty was a little worried about spade control, but figured that with my GF raise, I had to have something somewhere, so likely at least the A or K (if not both).
Though Marty and I both teach our students and readers not to use Blackwood with an uncontrolled suit, he took a chance. I responded to show 1 keycard, so he bid the heart slam. The J was led and he saw:
J1072
KQJ4
KJ74
Q
|
| |
Q43
A108765
A
AK2
|
Oops. No spade control. Had my diamonds and spades been interchanged, slam would have been excellent. At least we had avoided the killing spade lead, but so what. It still looked like there were 2 spades to lose. The best chance was that the Q would fall. Or, possibly there could be a throw-in play (maybe one opponent had a singleton spade honor).
Marty won the Q, unblocked the A and drew trump ending in dummy (West started with one). On the K and a diamond ruff, only low diamonds appeared. Marty cashed the high clubs, and was surprised to find them 7-2 (7 with LHO). He crossed in trumps to lead the J in this position:
With West marked with 1 heart and 7 clubs, there were great chances. If West started with a singleton spade honor along with 1 heart, 4 diamonds and 7 clubs, the hand could be made. Marty would trump the diamond and play a spade to endplay the opponents.
Equally as good, East discarded on the J. Do you see why?
Now, West was known to be 0=1=5=7. Marty simply threw a spade on the J and West was endplayed when he took the Q. He had to play a minor, which Marty trumped in dummy while discarding his last spade. We lost no spade tricks! This was the Real Deal:
Vul:North-South
Dlr: South |
J1072
KQJ4
KJ74
Q
|
|
--
3
Q10863
J1097653
|
|
AK9865
92
952
84
|
| |
Q43
A108765
A
AK2
|
|
What a lucky layout, but it was nice that Marty was alert enough to take advantage. Who needs a spade control?
