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Six Plus Promotion

A K Q
10 9 8 7
J 3 2
6 5 4
6 5 4
J 3 2
A K Q
10 9 8 7
J 3 2
6 5 4
10 9 8 7
A K Q
10 9 8 7
A K Q
6 5 4
J 3 2
If South declares notrump, the defense starts with three top diamonds, then three top clubs and a long diamond.
In spades, East/West start with three rounds of clubs, then three rounds of diamonds, followed by a fourth club at this position:
A K Q
10 9 8 7
6 5 4
J 3 2
7
J 3 2
6 5 4
7
10 9 8 7
A K Q
The lead of the last club promotes East's J.
If East/West declare spades, North/South draw trumps immediately, killing the promotion.
All the other suits follow similarly.
In fact, there are many deals of this sort above, where the defense takes the first six tricks and then sets up a seventh trick by a trump promotion of some sort. These are common enough that I devote the first set of non-symmetric deals to this idea. It's very rare to have a situation like the example in the introduction, with each side able to simply take seven or more tricks off the top in every contract.
<< Introduction
Thomas Andrews (bridge@thomasoandrews.com), © 1999-2009.
Held to Five >>
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