Big Slam Magazine - Flipbook - Page 71
Butler hands
So great that we are all playing the same boards.
In the sheltered workshop of the Mixed, only
three of 14 bid slam.
Match 2
There are a number of ways to make this 3NT.
On the good ]Q lead, David McLeish ducked
twice then cashed the }KQ, noting North's }J.
Then came [Q-K-A, and heart to the ten.
Three Mixed pairs and one Open pair were stung
for 800 and 10 IMPs when they opened this vul vs
not weak two. (or Multi).
Not so easy for North to double, nor for South to
pass the double.
After a club towards dummy's queen held, South
was thrown in with a heart. After cashing the ]K,
South had to lead a diamond into dummy' A-9 at
trick 12. Well done.
The other way is to duck a club to North for a second club trick.
In the Mixed, three out four pairs allowed 3NT to
make, even after the essential spade lead. After
ducking twice, declarer ran clubs, leaving a
4-card ending
Perhaps indicating the disparity between fields,
nine out of 10 Open pairs bid these cards to slam,
with Jessica Brake and Shane Harrison bidding
the grand.
At our table, declarer won trick 12 with the }J.
See if you can work out how that might have happened. It takes two to tango.