So Many Tricks!

Question

This time, you're playing with spades as the trump suit. After your opponents win the first trick with their ace of clubs lead, can you make the remaining 12 tricks?

Try it in the context of the whole hand First, read the context notes below

Your opponents win the ace of clubs on the first trick and now you must make all of the remaining tricks. You can win the second trick whatever they play. All of the cards in the South hand are now winners, with the exception of 5H. You must find a way not to lose a trick with that card. If you look carefully at the dummy, you will see that there are only two hearts there, which means that you will be able to trump a heart after playing the ace and king from your hand.

You can eliminate the danger of East trumping higher than the dummy (if they also had only two hearts) by playing two top spades from your hand first, drawing all but one of your opponents’ trumps. Then play the two top hearts, followed by the 5H. You can trump this in dummy with the ten of spades, safe in the knowledge that your opponents don’t have a higher trump (the jack is in your hand). Then you can cross back to the South hand in diamonds, draw the last trump and claim all your winners. Slam made!

Carried away by your magnificent hand, you have elected to make 12 tricks (a slam) with spades as trumps. Your opponent leads the ace of clubs and now you must make all of the remaining tricks.

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