A Clear Head

24th July – Board 14: Love All. Dealer East.

I don’t think anyone bid the laydown grand on the deal shown below although with a little bit of science and a clear head…

	North: S A K 10 2 H A Q J 10 9 8 D A Q C 6
West: S J 8 7 H 3 D 9 8 7 4 2 C K J 8 3		East: S 9 6 3 H 4 D K J 10 6 3 C Q 10 5 4
	South: S Q 5 4 H K 7 6 5 2 D 5 C A 9 7 2

West	North	East	South
		No	No
No	2C	No	2D
No	2H	No	3H
No	3S	No	4C
No	4D	No	5D
No	5S	No	7H
End

Playing Benji, North shows a strong two in hearts and South raises – game forcing of course – enabling a chain of cue-bids to take place. When North bids 5S this is obviously a grand slam try as their side is committed to the six level. What is more as South has denied second round club control with his 5D bid North cannot be worried about that suit, and with third round spade control and such glorious trumps South can hardly do less than go all the way. Too many pairs leapt and jumped their way to six, fearful of making bids that their partner might pass, but that is never the way. To explore for a slam you need to go slowly so that you have as much bidding space as possible. Playing traditional Acol the auction would start with the 2H bid but should be the same after that.