A very tough grand slam.
Bridge Column for June 17, 2001, By HARVEY BERNSTEIN
East-West vulnerable.  South deals.
                              NORTH
                              S: A Q              
                              H: A 7 6 3 2   
                              D: J 10 7 6 5  
                              C: 10      
            WEST                             EAST
            S: J 8 6 4 3                     S: 10 9 7   
            H: 5                             H: 10 9       
            D: Q 2                           D: A K 9 8 4 3       
            C: K Q 7 3 2                     C: 9 8         
                              SOUTH                         
                              S: K 5 2  
                              H: K Q J 8 4  
                              D: Void      
                              C: A J 6 5 4 
          The Bidding:
                  SOUTH    WEST    NORTH    EAST                  
                    1H     Pass     2NT     Pass
                    3D     Pass     3S      Pass
                    4D     Pass     4S      Pass
                    5H     Pass     5S      Pass
                    5NT    Pass     7H      Pass
                   Pass    Pass
     Thanks to Phil Becker of Beachwood for this hand from a
matchpoint event at the Wolverine Regional Bridge Tournament last
month in Detroit, Mich.  Becker held the North hand and his
partner, Nancy Adair of Akron opened the bidding with one heart.
     Becker had a choice of bids at this point.  He could have
made a "splinter" bid of four clubs, showing good trump support
and a singleton club, but he felt that slam was a possibility and
he did not want to take up that much bidding space.  Two no trump
was the "Jacoby" convention.  It is a game force in partner's
suit and asks for more information.
     Adair also had a choice in her response.  A jump to four
clubs would show a second four card suit.  Three diamonds, on the
other hand, showed a singleton or void in that suit.  She
selected the diamond bid for the same reason that Becker selected
his bid, she wanted to conserve bidding space.
     Three spades shows the ace of spades.  Four diamonds means
that Adair has either a void or the singleton ace of diamonds. 
     In this sequence, Becker and Adair play four spades as
"Kickback Roman Key Card Blackwood".  Five hearts means that the
South hand has two of the five key cards plus the queen of
hearts.  Five spades asks for specific kings.  Five no trump
shows the king of spades.  Becker could have bid six clubs, 
asking if partner held the club king, but he decided to just bid
seven hearts.  He was able to see the potential for thirteen
tricks and felt that this was the right time to bid it.
     The opening lead was the king of clubs.  Looking at all four
hands, can you see how to take thirteen tricks?
     Adair saw that the play would be easy if clubs were four-
three, but she had to be careful to time it correctly so the
clubs could be established while she was still able to pull
trump and end up in her hand.
     To this end, she took the ace of clubs and immediately
trumped a club. Adair noted the fall of the eight and nine of
clubs from East and determined that clubs were five-two.  The
potential for East to over trump dummy was too great to ignore.
     A heart was led back to the closed hand.  A second round of
hearts pulled the outstanding trump from East.  The jack of clubs
was tabled and West was forced to cover.  Adair trumped, cashed
the ace and queen of spades, trumped a diamond back to hand and
led another club (remember, East showed out on the last club
lead). At this point, Adair held the six-five of clubs and West
had the seven-four.  West had to cover the next club lead.  This
was trumped in dummy and a diamond was trumped in the closed hand
where the five of clubs and the king of spades fulfilled the
contract.
     Becker's comment on this hand is that West would have done
much better leading a trump against the grand slam.  The contract
can still be made, but even looking at all four hands it is very
difficult.  Adair took advantage of every asset and scored up an
excellent slam.
_______________________________________________________
Bernstein is a free-lance writer in Solon.