Grand Slam Lead

Pages: Page 3 of 5

Dealer: North
Vuln: N-S
Scoring: Pairs
  1. spadeA
  2. heartA K Q
  3. diamondA K Q J 5
  4. clubA J 4 2
  1. spadeK J 10 8 6 5
  2. heart10 4
  3. diamond2
  4. clubK Q 8 5
club diamond heart spade NT
N 3 5 7 2 6
S 3 5 7 2 6
E - - - - -
W - - - - -
Green square in centre
  1. spade7 4
  2. heart7 6 3
  3. diamond9 8 6 4 3
  4. club10 7 3

Contract: 7heart
Declarer: South
Lead: heart4
  1. spadeQ 9 3 2
  2. heartJ 9 8 5 2
  3. diamond10 7
  4. club9 6
Double dummy analyser: makeable contracts
West North East South
2club# Pass 2diamond*
2spade 3diamond Pass 3heart
Pass 7heart~ End

# big
* negative
~ very big

Of course the standard lead against a grand slam in a suit is a trump - indeed many a big one has slipped through because of a failure to follow the book.

Let's imagine that West gives it no thought and does just this. Declarer can count 12 tricks. Five trumps (assuming they are not 5-0), five diamonds and the two black aces. Where is the best chance of the thirteenth? A spade ruff in dummy would do, so declarer cashes two top trumps just in case they break 4-1, spadeA, a diamond to hand with the ten and ruffs a spade.. but how do you get back to hand to draw the last trump? The only choice is to cash two more rounds of diamonds throwing a club and then play ace and ruff a club. Then declarer can draw the last trump, but ...
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