Reno, NV 2016 Spring NABC
Mar 10, 2016 – Mar 20, 2016 
The 2016 Spring NABC is being played in Reno let us look some interesting deals from the bulletin’s series: What can go wrong? by Eddie Kantar.
(1) Key card Gerber for spades
(2) Two key cards without the trump queen
Opening lead: 3. Plan the play.
⇓
⇓
⇓
⇓
⇓
⇓
⇓
⇓
⇓
⇓
⇓
⇓
⇓
⇓
⇓
⇓
(1) Key card Gerber for spades
(2) Two key cards without the trump queen
Opening lead: 3. Plan the play.
You are in a great contract and your only problem is the spade suit. You are playing in a team game, so you are looking for the safest play to make your slam, not risking your slam on an overtrick finesse. As it happens, you have a 100 percent play for this slam.
Cash the A and lead a low spade towards the remaining K 9 3 in dummy. If West plays low, stick in the 9. If it loses, the suit has broken 3-2 and you have the rest. If West plays the 10, win the king, drive out the queen with dummy’s 9 and claim.
If West shows out, win the king and lead low towards your jack. It’s a 100 percent play.
What can go wrong? Well, if you start by leading a low spade to the king and West, that scoundrel, has four spades to the Q-10, you are about to go down one on a cold slam.
As a matter of interest, sometimes you wind up in a suit slam that can be played exactly the same way at notrump. For example, if you were in 6NT on this deal at IMPs, play spades the same way to ensure your contract.
I have found it helpful to count my notrump tricks even at a suit contract. Many times both contracts can be played exactly the same way and at notrump, you don’t have to worry about any of your winning tricks being ruffed! The full deal: