BAD CONTRACT, GOOD CONTRACT

by Aleksander Wagner

               AQxx                           N       E       S       W
               AKQxxxx                       ---------------------------
               -                              2C(1)   -       2D(2)   -
               AQ                             2H      -       3C      -
  Kxxx                       xxx              3H      -       4D(3)   -
  xx             N           Jx               4S(4)   -       5H(5)   -
  Qxxx         W   E         Kxxxxx           6H(6)   -       -       -
  Jxx            S           Kx

               Jx
               10x
               AJx
               1098xxx
 

(1) Acol, game forcing
(2) negative
(3) cue-bid (first or second round control)
(4) cue-bid, inviting, very optimistic
(5) nothing more to show
(6) even more optimistic

 To make a long story short, North knew he wasn't going to get any help, wasted diamond values virtually assured him of not even one trick in the dummy, he couldn't even count on more than two trumps in his partner's hand, and despite all this,without any conceivable reason, he bid the slam.

 The pits, wouldn't you say? But was he that wrong? Let's see:
 After the heart x lead he took the ten in the dummy, discarded the club Queen on the Ace of diamonds, finessed the spade King, ruffed the third spade, returned to his hand, drew the trumps and took 12 tricks.

 Maybe you want to change the first lead? By all means do! Want a club? a diamond? maybe a spade? Six made!
 Wrong again!!! There is a killing lead after all, one single card out of thirteen, but you'll have to find it all by yourself.
 Now, but only if you have nothing better to do, try switching the hands of your worthy opponents and then try to find a killing lead. I didn't.
 So maybe North wasn't so crazy after all? I still think he was...