Minor Suit Slam

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Update below

You pick up this nice hand:

Oct6a

RHO passes in 1st seat and you open one diamond. Partner responds two diamonds (inverted minor suit raise showing 10+ points and no interest in the majors).

You rebid two hearts, showing control of the heart suit. After partner bids controls in spades and clubs you end up in six diamonds. Opening lead is the six of diamonds. (It’s often a good idea to lead trump in this situation to cut down a likely cross ruff by declarer.)

Here is the dummy and your nice hand:

Oct6b

My thoughts tomorrow. Stay tuned.

Update:

The most straightforward way to play this by ruffing two spade losers and one heart loser in dummy. You need to be careful on timing. I suggest the following sequence: win the opening lead in hand (saving the jack of diamonds to prevent an overruff of the heart), go to the ace of spades, back to the ace of hearts, ruff a spade low, back to the king of hearts, ruff your last spade low, cash the ace of clubs, ruff a club, ruff a heart with the jack, ruff a club high if an honor fell on the 1st club ruff on your left (otherwise ruff it low), cash a high trump to get you to 11 tricks. If trumps have broken 2-2 you are home. You last trump will win trick you the 12th trick. That sequence requires in worst scenario that clubs break no worse that 2-4 and that trumps are 2-2 (not worrying about unlikely problems in spades or hearts). It looks like a 60 percent slam.

You could also try for 13 tricks by setting up the club suit to pitch losers. It’s a useful exercise to give it a try on paper. Assume that you see the queen of clubs fall on your left as you ruff the 1st club.

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