Bidding a grand slam.
Bridge Column for May 3, 2002, Harvey Bernstein
East-West vulnerable.  South deals.
                              North
                              S: Q 10 8 6         
                              H: 9           
                              D: K J 9 5     
                              C: A K Q 9 
            West                             East
            S: J 4                           S: 9 7 3 2      
            H: Q 8 6 5 3 2                   H: K 10 4     
            D: 10 8 3                        D: 7 6 2             
            C: 7 5                           C: J 8 6       
                              South                         
                              S: A K 5 
                              H: A J 7      
                              D: A Q 4     
                              C: 10 4 3 2 
          The Bidding:  
                  South    West    North    East                  
                    1C     Pass     1D      Pass
                    2NT    Pass     3C      Pass
                    3D     Pass     4C      Pass
                    4NT    Pass     5H      Pass
                    5NT    Pass     6D      Pass
                    6NT    Pass     7C      Pass
                   Pass    Pass
     Thanks to Steve Vrooman of Beachwood for this hand from his
Thursday afternoon duplicate bridge game at Fairmount Temple of
Fairmount Blvd in Beachwood.
     When this hand was actually played, half of the pairs wound
up in six no trump and the other half were in six clubs.  All
thirteen tricks were taken in either contract.  Vrooman was
suprised that none of the pairs were able to declare a grand
slam.  The auction shown above would be my recommendation.  
     South opens one club.  It is the modern style to open one mo
trump with fifteen to seventeen high card points and balanced
distribution.  The South hand contains eighteen points.  Many
players would call it a "bad eighteen", if there is such a thing,
and open one no trump anyway.  That action could come back to
haunt South, because partner will always think that the South
hand is limited to seventeen points.
     North responds one diamond.  South jumps to two no trump,
showing a balanced eighteen to twenty high card points.  Three
clubs is "Check Back Stayman".  North is asking South if he
bypassed a four card major to bid two no trump.  
     South bids three diamonds, denying a four card major.  North
bids four clubs.  This is a forcing call.  North has gone past
three no trump to show that he has a fit for the opener's first
suit.  To do this, he must have a game-forcing hand and he is
very likely "slam invitational".
     Four no trump is Roman Key Card Blackwood.  The five heart
response shows two key cards (the ace and king of clubs) and the
queen of clubs, as well.  
     Five no trump asks partner to show his lowest king (not
including the king of clubs, which he has already shown).  Six
diamonds shows the king of that suit.
     Six no trump by South is an attempt to set the final
contract, but it is not a demand to play that contract.  South is
simply saying, with all the information he has available, he
should be able to take twelve tricks.  North knows that he has
has a singleton heart, which should mean that the hand will play
better in a suit than it will in no trump.  To that end, he bids
seven clubs, which ends the auction.
     Is seven clubs a good contract?  I think so.  Clubs will
break 3-2 68% of the time.  They will break 4-1 28% of the time,
and even then, there are distributions that will allow declarer
to score all of the tricks.  
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Bernstein is a free-lance writer in Solon.