Stealing A Slam.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19154, 21 August 1930, Page 8

Stealing A Slam.

By .

A. E. Manning Foster.

r £ , o CARRY off a slam, not simply by force majeure, but by gauging the enemy’s mentality and acting accordingly, gives a thrill over and above the actual points gained. The very chagrin of the opponents at being caught napping is a tribute to one’s adroitness. A and B each held an Ace and had the opportunity of making two tricks, but Z wangled a little slam. A had dealt at love score and passed, Y said “One Spade”; B, “ No bid”; and Z, with less than sufficiency in Spades, made it one No Trump, which all passed. The hands were: Y S—A Iv Q 9 3 H—lo 7 4 D—s 2 C—K 6 2 A B S—7 5 S—lo 86 2 lI—Q 6 2 H—A J 5 D—A J 8 7 3 D—9 6 4 C—J 9 5 C—B 7 3 Z S-J 4 H—K 9 8 3 D—K Q 10 C—A QlO 4 A led the 7 of Diamonds, Z winning with the 10. He could see eleven tricks—five Spades, apart from a very unfortunate division, two Diamonds, and three Clubs. Also the King of Hearts can be made by leading the suit from dummy, the Ace being marked with B b}' A’s original pass. With two quick tricks A would have bid his Diamonds. Besides these eleven tricks, there will be a fourth Club if the opponents’ Clubs fall in three rounds. A possibility of a little slam. But the trouble was that B might play his Ace of Hearts directly he got in and the two red Aces would stop the slam. Could Z induce B to hold up his Ace of Hearts for one round? That was the problem Z set himself. At trick two Z led the King of Diamonds, which A took with the Ace, and led another Diamond to clear the suit. Z then put dummy in with the King of Clubs and led the 10 of Hearts from dummy as if he were going to finesse. B acted just as Z had calculated. Having no Diamond to return tc> his partner, and hoping A would get the lead with a Heart for his Diamonds, B passed the 10. Z planked on his King and proceeded to gather in the remaining tricks for the little slam.