24th May 2017

Dealer West
S
KQ
   
E/w Vul
H
8654
   
    D A10764
   
    C 93
   
S
A1053
    S
J92
H
AQ2
    H
KJ
D
QJ3
    D
K
C
AJ5
    C
KQ108742
    S
8764
   
    H
10973
   
    D
9852
   
    C
6
   


South
West
North
East

1C Pass
2C
Pass
2NT
Pass
4C
Pass
4H Pass
6C
Pass
Pass
Pass


This deal is from a duplicate pairs at Cheadle Hulme Bridge Club on April 24th.

Playing strong notrump and five card majors West opened one club.  East's bid of two clubs was an inverted raise showing a limit raise to three clubs or more.  West rebid two notrump systemically showing a balanced 18-19.  East bid four clubs to set the suit and make a slam try.  When West made a control bid of four hearts East leaped to slam on the grounds that playing in five clubs would not score well if most pairs were in three notrump.  North must have been hopeful of beating this, but on the lead of the spade king West won, drew trumps and discarded the diamond king on the third round of hearts and conceded a spade.  On the ace of diamonds lead and a spade switch declarer again can draw trumps, but this time it is the spades that go away on the diamond winners (a kind of Morton's Fork on opening lead).