North opens with 1♣, you respond with 1♥, West interferes with 1NT (Sandwich 1NT, which promises both of unbid suits – diamonds and spades on this occasion). North repeats clubs and East bids 2♦.

What are you going to bid?

Game is certainly indicated, and why not a slam as your partner has opened the auction and you have 19HCP, so altogether you should have over 30 HCP. Plus you have stoppers in three suits, diamonds excluded. You have already found a suit fit, as North has shown 5+ clubs and you hold four clubs.

You ask for aces with 4NT, North responds with 5♥ (2 keycards, no trump queen) and you call 6♣. North declares 6NT. So 6NT it is.

West leads the ♦8 to your queen (trick 1).

You hold 32 HCP in combined hands, so slam was indeed in air. It will not stay in air though as your only weak spot is hearts – where you might lose a trick – in all other suits you have two or more stoppers. As your side has magnificent clubs, you lead the ♣A and ♣Q next (tricks 2, 3), then start taking tricks with dummy`s clubs leading the ♣K, ♣J, ♣9 and ♣7 (tricks 4, 5, 6, 7). You discard two small spades, West discards two spades and three diamonds and East discards three diamonds and a small heart.

Now ten diamonds are already out of play, so you can safely lead the ♦A and ♦K from dummy`s hand (tricks 8, 9).

The last four tricks remain, of which you are going to lose one trick in hearts. You lead the ♠J to the ♠A; then lead the ♠K (tricks 10, 11). Next you lead the ♥A (trick 12) and lead your last card – the ♥9, letting the opponents win the last trick (trick 13).

You held 19 HCP as a responder so of course you had to explore slam possibilities. Not adding mentally up the respective points of combined hands is a mistake to avoid at all costs.

As North held two stoppers in diamonds, 6NT was fully justified.

6♣ would have been made as well. East would have probably led the ♠8 to dummy`s Ace. After pulling the trumps this contract could have been played in the same way as 6NT – winning 6 tricks in clubs; 3 in diamonds; 2 in spades; 1 in hearts and leaving the opponents with only one trick in hearts.

Analysis:

Par Contract Analysis:

The par contract on deal this is 6NT by North (South).

Bridge Baron deal No : N2406-22701-16382-39210-53466-14579