Not Impossible

28th July – Board 7. Game All. Dealer South.

Grand slams without nearly all the points are always difficult to bid but on the featured hand below I think it might just be done, although it does require absolute faith in partner….

	North: S A Q J 8 H K Q 10 9 8 6 D none C K Q 10
West: S 10 7 3 H 7 4 D A Q 10 9 8 5 C 9 8		East: S 9 5 2 H 2 D K 7 6 3 C 6 5 4 3 2
	South: S K 6 4 H A J 5 3 D J 4 2 C A J 7

West	North	East	South
			1NT
No	2D	No	3H
No	3S	No	4C
No	4D	No	4H
No	5C	No	5S
No	6C	No	7H
End

I think the key to this hand comes with South’s second bid when he should break the transfer by bidding 3H, not two. Now North knows from the outset that a slam of sorts is available and uses all the space available for both sides to cue-bid their controls. 4H of course isn’t a cue but a sign off but when North ploughs on South is right to show his second round spade control. Now 6C is clearly a grand slam try – otherwise he would just bid 6H – and with South staring at the ace of trumps he can hardly not bid the grand. Note that Blackwood by either hand is not the way to go!!