Michael and I ended up in a somewhat dodgy slam today, but it was a nice sequence
![Smiley :)](http://ocp.pigpen.org.uk/smf/Smileys/default/smiley.gif)
.
North (Dummy) ![Spades !S](http://ocp.pigpen.org.uk/smf/Smileys/default/icon_spades.gif)
AKQJ95
![Hearts !H](http://ocp.pigpen.org.uk/smf/Smileys/default/icon_hearts.gif)
J6
![Diamonds !D](http://ocp.pigpen.org.uk/smf/Smileys/default/icon_diamonds.gif)
AJ2
![Clubs !C](http://ocp.pigpen.org.uk/smf/Smileys/default/icon_clubs.gif)
KQ
4 ledSouth ![Spades !S](http://ocp.pigpen.org.uk/smf/Smileys/default/icon_spades.gif)
106
![Hearts !H](http://ocp.pigpen.org.uk/smf/Smileys/default/icon_hearts.gif)
A732
![Diamonds !D](http://ocp.pigpen.org.uk/smf/Smileys/default/icon_diamonds.gif)
9763
![Clubs !C](http://ocp.pigpen.org.uk/smf/Smileys/default/icon_clubs.gif)
A54
Bidding (Opps silent)
North South1
![Clubs !C](http://ocp.pigpen.org.uk/smf/Smileys/default/icon_clubs.gif)
1
1NT
(1) 2
(2)2
(3) 2NT
(4)3
(5) 4
(6)4
(7) 5
( 8 )6
(9) All Pass
(1) Beta
(2) 4 Controls
(3) Iota in Spades
(4)
![Spades !S](http://ocp.pigpen.org.uk/smf/Smileys/default/icon_spades.gif)
xx
(5) Repeat Iota (Sets Spades as trumps)
(6) Still
![Spades !S](http://ocp.pigpen.org.uk/smf/Smileys/default/icon_spades.gif)
xx
(7) Epsilon in Hearts
( 8 ) 1st Rnd Control of
![Hearts !H](http://ocp.pigpen.org.uk/smf/Smileys/default/icon_hearts.gif)
, no 2nd or 3rd Rnd control
(9) This pretty much
needs South to have
![Clubs !C](http://ocp.pigpen.org.uk/smf/Smileys/default/icon_clubs.gif)
AJxx, since I must have
![Hearts !H](http://ocp.pigpen.org.uk/smf/Smileys/default/icon_hearts.gif)
Axx(x) and cannot have the
![Diamonds !D](http://ocp.pigpen.org.uk/smf/Smileys/default/icon_diamonds.gif)
King. A rush of blood to North's head, perhaps LOL.
What to do on the lead of the
![Diamonds !D](http://ocp.pigpen.org.uk/smf/Smileys/default/icon_diamonds.gif)
4? It's possible that West might have led from
![Diamonds !D](http://ocp.pigpen.org.uk/smf/Smileys/default/icon_diamonds.gif)
KQxx, in which case the
![Clubs !C](http://ocp.pigpen.org.uk/smf/Smileys/default/icon_clubs.gif)
Jack will suffice for 12 tricks here. Much
more likely, in my opinion, that the lead is from
![Diamonds !D](http://ocp.pigpen.org.uk/smf/Smileys/default/icon_diamonds.gif)
K10xx(x) or
![Diamonds !D](http://ocp.pigpen.org.uk/smf/Smileys/default/icon_diamonds.gif)
Q10xx(x), in which case East will have to play their honour in order to beat the 9. At any rate, that is what I played for and East duly won trick one with the King and switched to a Club.
I eventually took the Diamond finesse against West for my 12th trick. Nice result, but it's worth noting that for this slam to succeed, you 100%
need West to lead a small Diamond from their hand at trick 1. Almost no other lead will allow you to make this. Even the
![Diamonds !D](http://ocp.pigpen.org.uk/smf/Smileys/default/icon_diamonds.gif)
10 lead defeats the contract because of the finesse against the 9 on the way back.
Bidding a slam on the basis of Partner having to have cards they've not shown can be a little dodgy. Bidding a slam
knowing you have multiple "holes" (
![Diamonds !D](http://ocp.pigpen.org.uk/smf/Smileys/default/icon_diamonds.gif)
and
![Hearts !H](http://ocp.pigpen.org.uk/smf/Smileys/default/icon_hearts.gif)
here) is doubly so. Nice when you can enlist Opps' help to allow you to make it, though LOL.