DENVER FALL 2015 NABC – NOV.26-DEC.6
The next Fall NABC will be in Denver so let us look some interesting deals from the 1978 Denver, NABC.
This is the first of them….
In trouble? Salvage what you can!
Bob Hamman found himself in a bad slam contract, so he took a line of play that would earn him a few matchpoints if the hearts didn’t split. He knew he was headed for a zero if he took the same line as the rest of the field:
Susie Kennedy’s 5NT response showed two aces and a void so Hamman decided to shoot it out in the notrump slam. He wasn’t happy when a spade was led, he ducked it and it lost to the 
K. The spade return cleared the suit. He took a top heart, then cashed his top five minors. Now it was time to return to hearts — should he play for the drop or should he finesse? If he dropped the queen, he would make his slam, but everyone in hearts would make seven. So Bob had to hope the queen was third onside, because, by finessing, he could pick up a few match points from those who played for the 2–2 split. His play salvaged quite a few points — 6 1/2 on a 12 top. If he had been wrong, he would have received a cold bottom, but so what? He would have received a near bottom if the 
Q fell doubleton because all the heart bidders would be making seven.