Bidding to a grand slam.
Bridge Column for February 25, 2001, By HARVEY BERNSTEIN
Neither side vulnerable.  East deals.
                              NORTH
                              S: A J 8 2          
                              H: A 8 7       
                              D: 8 2         
                              C: A K Q 10
            WEST                             EAST
            S: 9 7 6 4 3                     S: K Q 10 5   
            H: 6 5 3                         H: 10 2       
            D: 9 5                           D: Q J 10 7 6 4      
            C: 8 7 5                         C: J           
                              SOUTH                         
                              S: Void 
                              H: K Q J 9 4  
                              D: A K 3     
                              C: 9 6 4 3 2
          The Bidding://
                   EAST   SOUTH     WEST   NORTH                  
                   Pass    1H       Pass    1S  
                   Pass    2C       Pass    2D  
                   Pass    3C       Pass    3H  
                   Pass    4D       Pass    4NT 
                   Pass    5S       Pass    5NT
                   Pass    6D       Pass    7H
                   Pass    Pass     Pass
     This hand caused a lot of bidding problems for pairs playing
in the afternoon session on February 3rd at the Ohio Masters
Sectional Tournament in Solon.  There is nothing to the play and
declarer can make all the tricks at clubs, hearts or no trump. 
Bidding the grand slam was the difficult part.
     I have shown the auction that I would construct on these
cards.  You need to be playing the right conventions, but most of
them are fairly normal for duplicate players.  Here is the
detailed explanation:
     The first three bids are standard.  North's two diamond call
is "fourth suit forcing" and says nothing about the diamond suit. 
It just asks for more information and declares the partnership in
a game forcing situation.  Three clubs completes the description
of the heart and club suits in the South hand.  Three hearts sets
the trump suit.  Four diamonds is a cue bid showing first round
control.
     There is no reason for North to cue-bid.  He simply bids
Roman Key Card Blackwood (4NT).  The five spade response says
that the South hand has two key cards and the queen of trump.  
     This is good news and North bids five no trump asking about
any non trump kings.  His bid also guarantees that the North-
South partnership has all four aces and the king of trump. 
     South, by partnership agreement, shows his lowest ranking
king by bidding six diamonds.  This is all the information North
needs and he ends the auction by bidding seven hearts.  
     Seven no trump is an alternate contract that will yield a
slightly better score.  It also has the advantage of not allowing
the defense to beat it in the event that the opening lead could
be to a void in the opposite defenders hand.  Do you have the
bidding tools to bid this hand? 
_______________________________________________________
Bernstein is a free-lance writer in Solon.