Worth The Risk

14^th April – Board 19. East/West Game. Dealer South.

Grand slams are always hard to bid because there is so much at stake but I think it would be worth the risk on the hand shown below.

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

West	North	East	South
			No
1S	No	2D	No
3H	No	4NT	No
5S	No	5NT	No
7H	End

The key bid to me is West’s rebid. If he makes a jump rebid of 3H – game forcing and showing at least 5-5 almost certainly – East must surely be entranced, and although I am a vehement opponent of galloping Blackwood it seems to be the right thing to do here. West shows his two key-cards and the queen of hearts whereupon East makes a grand slam try with 5NT, ostensibly asking for kings but also asking his partner to show judgement. With solid spades West should go all the way and might consider 7NT although if partner had a singleton spade a ruff in that suit might be needed.

If West chooses to rebid just 2H then East should invoke fourth suit forcing by bidding 3C – game forcing at that level – leaving West to rebid his hearts to show 5-5. Now with such good cards in his partner’s suits Blackwood again seems sensible but without knowledge of the solid spade suit opposite it is harder to bid the grand.