Vul:Both Dlr: South	K10962  A8  AQ7  432
J43  10765  J6  K975		A85  32  109532  1086
	Q7  KQJ94  K84  AQJ

West	North	East	South
			1
Pass	1	Pass	2NT
Pass	5NT	Pass	6
All Pass

This Real Deal comes from Sharon Beynon.

The Bidding

South has a balanced hand, but too many points for a 15-17 1NT opening. South starts with 1, planning to rebid 2NT. North has enough for game, but has to start with 1. This shows 4 or more spades and 6 or more points. It is forcing for one round, but not to game. As planned, South rebids 2NT to show 18-19 balanced. What should North do now?

North counts 13 HCP but should add at least one more. A good 5-card suit gets even better when you know your partner isn’t short in that suit. The notrump rebid shows two or three spades, so North can expect that the spades might be a source of tricks. North also likes the ace in partner’s suit along with another ace-queen combo (more powerful than just an ace in one minor and a queen in the other). All told, I’d evaluate North’s hand as about 14 ½. Added to 18-19 that gives enough for slam.

North could look for a 5-3 spade fit with a convention called “New Minor Forcing.” North would bid 3 if wanting to employ that convention. Another possibility is a direct jump to 6NT. I’ve shown 5NT which is gaining more and more popularity as “pick-a-slam.” It is a useful tool to say, “partner, I think we have enough values to play in a small slam, but I’m not sure which one. You choose.” North is hoping partner will choose spades, but with such good hearts, South should suggest a 6 contract as shown. With a 6-card suit, South’s rebid wouldn’t have been 2NT, so North will know that 6H is showing only 5, but a good 5.

At matchpoint scoring, North might be greedy and correct this to 6NT. More on that contract later. If North passes as shown in the bidding diagram, an excellent contract is reached. The possibility of setting up the spades by ruffing makes this a great spot.

The Opening Lead

West has no totally safe lead (leading from a 10 or jack has risks). Against small slams in a suit, I am okay with aggressive leads. Trying to build a trick to go with maybe a defensive ace is not a bad strategy. I like leading away from a king against six of a suit. Here, I’d think dummy’s spades might get set up, so I’d hope partner has the Q (or maybe even the A) and we can build an extra club trick. In fact, if East had the Q, the club lead would strike gold.

Here declarer is in too good of a contract on any lead. Even without a helpful club lead, trumps can be drawn and spades can be set up with a ruff. That’s a total of 5 hearts, 3 diamonds and 3 spades. The extra trick from the club lead doesn’t matter. On the other hand, it is possible to see a way for declarer to go wrong in 6. Suppose a red suit is led at trick one. Declarer draws trump and if the Q is led out of hand, East might win and return a club. Declarer might choose to finesse instead of going after spades. Not only that, but in spades, declarer has several ways to play. A finesse to the 10 works, but a ruffing finesse (K then run the 10) is a possible (but losing) line.

How would 6NT do? Let’s assume a red-suit lead. Declarer would win and go after spades. A spade from dummy to the queen and then a spade to the 10 would work well. However, declarer might choose club finesses instead of working on spades (hoping for 3 clubs, 5 hearts, 3 diamonds and 1 spade).  Those black-suit layouts are giving me a headache.

Lesson Points

• With 15-17 balanced and a 5-card suit (even a Major), open 1NT. But with that shape and 18-19, open in the major and rebid 2NT.
• Even with a Abbreviation for Game Forcing GF hand, responder should not bypass a 5-card major on the one-level to use a 2 over 1 response.
• Almost any 5NT bid means: “I want to be in six something—you choose.”
• Leading against six of a suit, especially if dummy might have a good side suit, be aggressive—leading from a king is okay.
• Declarer in a suit contract always has to decide whether or not to draw trump.
• Five-card side suits in dummy are usually a source of tricks.