Dan Rather said, "Americans will put up with anything as long as it doesn't block traffic."
A bridge player will put up with many things as long as he can get around a blocked suit.
In this deal, you are South, in seven clubs. West leads the jack of hearts. What is your line?
When North opens the bidding, you know that at least a small slam is makable. But what about a grand? You might just blast into Blackwood, but you would probably end in six no-trump once partner shows only one king. By starting quietly with two clubs, you learn that partner has club support and at least four diamonds. (If North had opened one diamond with only three cards in the suit, his distribution would have been 4-4-3-2 and he would have rebid two no-trump.) So, it is reasonable to take a shot at seven clubs.
When in a suit contract, you usually start by counting your losers. But there is little point in doing that in a grand slam! Count your winners.
You should see 13: one spade, two hearts, four diamonds and six clubs. However, since the diamond suit is blocked, you will get four diamond tricks only if you have a dummy entry after you have cashed your king and jack. This means that you must win the first trick in your hand with the heart ace, not on the board with the queen. Then, draw trumps, unblock the king-jack of diamonds, play a heart to dummy's king, and discard your spade losers on the ace-queen of diamonds.
A bridge player will put up with many things as long as he can get around a blocked suit.
In this deal, you are South, in seven clubs. West leads the jack of hearts. What is your line?
When North opens the bidding, you know that at least a small slam is makable. But what about a grand? You might just blast into Blackwood, but you would probably end in six no-trump once partner shows only one king. By starting quietly with two clubs, you learn that partner has club support and at least four diamonds. (If North had opened one diamond with only three cards in the suit, his distribution would have been 4-4-3-2 and he would have rebid two no-trump.) So, it is reasonable to take a shot at seven clubs.
When in a suit contract, you usually start by counting your losers. But there is little point in doing that in a grand slam! Count your winners.
You should see 13: one spade, two hearts, four diamonds and six clubs. However, since the diamond suit is blocked, you will get four diamond tricks only if you have a dummy entry after you have cashed your king and jack. This means that you must win the first trick in your hand with the heart ace, not on the board with the queen. Then, draw trumps, unblock the king-jack of diamonds, play a heart to dummy's king, and discard your spade losers on the ace-queen of diamonds.