A SLAM MINUS 3 ACES- Stan Fink

Be warned! The following tale of woe should require a minimum of ten tissues so be sure to have the necessary supplies on hand before reading further.

I was sitting west with perhaps the best hand at the table.

I assume south opened the bidding 1D because with 4-0-7-2 shape one should usually make a concerted effort to bid something. Furthermore, with an outside 4-card spade suit, she decided not to preempt 3D.

If I had been sitting in south's seat, I think I would have rebid 2S after partner negative doubled, hoping to play in a 4-4 fit. Had south bid 2S at her second turn, I assume her partner would have taken her back to diamonds. My double of 5S following north's Roman Key Card Blackwood try was lead-directing. With no place to go over 5S, North realized their side was up too high and she reluctantly closed the auction at 6D. "Your lead, partner," I said and east obediently placed the jack of spades on the table.

The problem was that I was the one who was supposed to be on lead.

Time to start reaching for that tissue box. The pain is about to commence.

The director was summoned and after listening to the endless assortment of options available, the declarer chose to deny me the right to lead a spade while I retained the lead.

I could have saved the director the trip to the table. I knew the denial of a spade lead was going to be declarer's choice.

I led the ace of clubs, which held. Since there were only two clubs remaining in the south and east hands, I led a second club, hoping partner had a singleton. Unfortunately, they each started with a doubleton. (I guess the Bridge Gods make sure that if you mess up, you are not permitted to escape so easily.)

South won the trick with the king of clubs and led the jack of diamonds, as she removed the singleton trumps from the east and west hands.

Next, declarer led the king of hearts and when partner played the ace, I breathed a sigh of relief. This slam was going down after all, I thought. Unfortunately, my euphoria was short-lived as declarer trumped in her hand.

Dummy was reached as south played a diamond to the ten. The losing spades in declarer's hand were now discarded on the three winning hearts and the queen of clubs.

Barbara Dorfman, a former student of mine, was the declarer and I'm always pleased when one of my pupils does well at the bridge table. In addition, I will now be able to tell my current group of students that perhaps in time, they too will be able to make a slam off three aces. But if they hope to succeed, they better make sure that I'm the one defending the hand.