Delicate Approach

18th October – Board 17: Love All. Dealer North.

Slams are often hard to bid unless both halves of the partnership hold a gazillion points and for that reason if no other it is usually right to try and paint a delicate picture with a series of forcing bids rather than just wheel out the Old Black as soon as possible.

2NT is a transfer to 3♦ but it is a good idea to allow the opener to break the transfer to 3♣ with a top honour to three or better. Here, when North just completes the transfer, South knows that either the king of diamonds is missing or that partner holds K x precisely. (If you don’t play minor suit transfers you just must. They’re easy to learn and fun.) Over 3♦ 3♥ is natural and forcing and over the sign-off in 3NT 4♦ is also forcing and shows a six-card diamond suit. 4♠ is a cue-bid and now 4NT is everyone’s favourite convention. 5♣ shows three key-cards and 6♦ says enough is enough. Impressed? Well you shouldn’t be. The best contract is 7♣, with both 7♦ and 7NT being just about within the odds. Some hands are just too difficult.