Slam spelled backward, Part 2
In an earlier blog entry, I referred to some bad luck in reaching good slams, only to discover that an unfriendly lie of the opponents’ cards doomed the slams to failure. http://jeff.bridgeblogging.com/2012/12/04/slam-spelled-backward/
(Slam spelled backward is “mals” and “mal” in Spanish means “bad”.)
This blog entry is a cousin to the earlier entry. In today’s two slam failures, the auctions suggested – at least it suggested to me – that one slam would be playable and the other would not. I was wrong both times!
Board 1.
I opened 2♣. Using control responses, partner responded 2♥. This is artificial and shows two kings or one ace. Having played bridge before, I deduced the latter was more likely.
Although I had no certain way to take care of my slow spade losers and no assurance that partner would produce any diamond support, I took a flyer at slam and rebid 6♦. At least no one can accuse me of slowing the auction.
East smartly led the ♣A. When the diamond finesse lost, I was scoring -50. Three pairs of the twelve who played the board reached 6♦. One made, the other and my pair scored 0.5 mps out of 11.
Board 12.
Not too shabby, eh? In second chair, I again opened 2♣. This time partner responded 2♦, artificial and showing no aces and at most one king. This partnership does not play Kokish and so a natural, and forcing 3♣ call was my next bid. Partner now bid 3♠.
If partner owns the ♠K and has some club support, 6NT seems like a great spot. On the other hand, what if partner’s spades are something like QJxxx (and he has enough other “stuff”, such as one of the two other missing queens, to have disqualified his hand from making a 3♦ second negative call)? Then, I will be locked in my hand and will lose at least one spade and one club. So thinking, I signed off in 3NT.
Winning the ♠K in dummy and taking a losing club finesse, Claiming +690 for 5 mps.
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We also play controls and over a 2C opener and any 2 level response we play ‘King Gerber’. A bid of 4C asks for how many kings you have (4D = 0, 4H = 1, etc). 4N over the response would be to play.
We do not play normal Gerber in any other way shape or form, but encourage our opponents to play it as much as they like.
You were a bit unlucky with the first slam. If the diamond king is onside the slam is excellent on any lead and with it offside you still have good chances if the club ace is in the other hand, especially in light of your uninformative auction. It is probably worth being in this slam even at matchpoints – I would call it unlucky.
On the second hand it seems to me you could make a slam try at least. Even if partner does only have the SQJ and a bit you are still in good shape up to 5NT so you could make another forward move…I would prefer to play 4NT in this sequence as a slam try not keycard since you have a pretty good handle already on controls but it would still be okay if you treat it as KC for spades as long as you have a way out in 5NT over a denial of the SK.
If none of that looks good to you then I would just bid the slam. This one seems a much better shot than the first one. I think partner is very likely to have the SK on the auction.
Seems to me that you were lucky that 6D has a chance on that first hand if you are willing to take a flyer knowing only that you are missing an Ace and the trump K. Sure, you know that you can pitch the losing round K if they don’t take their Ace, but if you just jumped to 6D, you don’t even have assurance that partner has even one diamond, and possible spade loser’s exist.