IMPROVE YOUR PLAY
with Larry Matheny

Slam bidding can be difficult.  Finding out if you have first or second round control of each suit is essential but that's not always enough to allow you to bid a grand slam.

Scoring:  Matchpoints (pairs)

Hand #2
Dlr   E
Vul none
S K9875
H A75
D Q764
C 9
S 2
H K32
D J52
C J107652
    
S 3
H Q10964
D K10983
C 43

S AQJ1064
H J8
D A
C AKQ8
West North
 East
 South


Pass
 2C
   Pass
     2D    Pass
     2S
   Pass
     4C*    Pass
     4D
   Pass
     4H    Pass
    4NT
   Pass
     5S    Pass
    5NT
   Pass
     6S All Pass
*Splinter - spade support with singleton or void in clubs.

BIDDING:  South's hand barely qualified for a strong two bid.  North held values but no strong suit so waited with a 2D response.  After South showed the spade suit, North jumped in clubs to show support plus shortness.  South was worried about hearts so he cue bid diamonds and North cooperated by showing a heart control.  Next South used Roman Keycard Blackwood (treats the king in the agreed suit as an ace) to find that North held two keycards plus the queen of spades.  Holding the queen himself, South realized North was showing at least five spades which was as good as the queen.  South's 5NT bid confirmed all  five keycards were held and asked about kings.  North's return to the trump suit denied any other king.  South was concerned about the heart loser in his hand and reluctantly passed.

PLAY:  There wasn't much to the play to score all thirteen tricks.  Declarer won the opening club lead, drew trumps, discarded dummy's hearts on the good club honors, and trumped his small heart in dummy.  In a local game, three pairs bid and made the grand, five pairs bid six and made seven, one pair bid six and made only six, two pairs stopped in game and made seven, and one pair managed only to go -100.  I don't know if those that bid the grand slam were good or just lucky.  Those that found only twelve tricks need to work on their declarer skills.  As for the pair that went minus, I'm guessing they bid 7NT and found only eleven tricks.  Sometimes it doesn't pay to be greedy.

Copyright ©2008 Larry Matheny.     stats