A diamond slam yields a good result.
Bridge Column for September 9, 2005, Harvey Bernstein
Special To The Plain Dealer 
Neither side vulnerable.  North deals.
                              North
                              S: A K 10 8     
                              H: A K 10     
                              D: A J       
                              C: A K Q 3  

            West                             East
            S: J 7 5                         S: Q 4 3        
            H: Q J 9 7 4                     H: 6 3 2      
            D: K 6                           D: 5 4 3             
            C: 7 6 4                         C: J 10 9 8    
                              South
                              S: 9 6 2        
                              H: 8 5       
                              D: Q 10 9 8 7 2
                              C: 5 2    
          The Bidding:  
                  North    East    South    West                  
                   2C      Pass     2D      Pass
                   2NT     Pass     3S      Pass
                   4C      Pass     4D      Pass
                   6D      Pass     Pass    Pass
     This hand was dealt during a team event.  North holds twenty
eight high card points, and yet, there are only eight top tricks. 
Hands like these are very difficult to bid.  The auction shown,
which needs some explanation, proved to be effective.
     Two clubs is the standard opening for a "game forcing" hand
when a partnership is playing "weak two bids".  In this
convention, two diamonds, hearts, or spades describes a hand with
less than an opening bid and a six card suit.  Two clubs is
reserved for all other hands that would have been opened with a
strong two level bid.  
     In response to two clubs, two diamonds is a "waiting" bid
allowing the opener to further describe his holding.  Two no
trump shows a hand with more than 22 high card points and even
distribution.  
     Many players would rebid three no trump to show 25 or more
high card points.  If that were the case, South would be hard
pressed to move the contract and the final result would probably
be three no trump making as the spades break evenly which allows
the declarer to make nine tricks. 
     When the openers rebid is two no trump, partner has some
flexibility.  With a five card (or longer) major suit, partner
can transfer and then show his values with subsequent bids.  This
is especially effective with weak hands.  If partner's long suit
is a minor (at least six cards in length), it will depend on your
partnership agreements.  A simple method is to use a spade bid to
start a transfer sequence.  In this case, after three spades,
opener bids four clubs and South can raise clubs to five if that
is his suit or correct to diamonds, as was done here.
     The raise to six diamonds was a bit of a gamble, but North
could not imagine a six card diamond suit opposite the South hand
that could not produce twelve tricks.
     West opened the seven of clubs.  Declarer won the ace and
played the ace of diamonds and another diamond.  The defense won
the second trick and that was the end of the story.  Plus 920 was
a very good result.  Keep in mind that a long suit opposite a
strong hand is the best combination in the game.
          
     Unit 125 of the American Contract Bridge League held the
Silver Bowl Sectional Bridge Tournament in Solon on August 5 - 7. 
The following players were successful in their respective events
on August 7.  Other results appeared in previous columns.
     Flight A Swiss teams (9 teams). 1. Susan Conrad, Madison,
Helen Radigan, Mentor, Julia Allen, Willoughby, and Gary Sikon,
North Royalton.  2. J. Lawniczak, Novelty, Russell Stambaugh,
Palm City FL, Tucker Marstan and Gordon Berry, Chagrin Falls.
     Flight B Swiss Teams (17 teams).  1. Mary Gleghorn, Stow,
Barbara Schidlowski, Kent, Nancy Evans and Shirley Lindstrom,
Cuyahoga Falls.  2. Alex McCrea, Shaker Heights, Sam Den, Mentor,
Brian Beck, Beachwood, and Patti Pinderton, Aurora.
     Flight C Swiss Teams (11 teams).  1. Thomas Rice, Cleveland,
Patti Perlmuter, Beachwood, James and Linda Stahl, Chagrin Falls. 
2.  Dorothy Rendlesham, Cleveland, Renate Duchesneau, Chagrin
Falls, John and Marilyn Hanson, Solon.

     Fred Eberlin of Lyndhurst will be teaching a class on
Intermediate Bridge (Declarer Techniques and Defensive
Strategies) at the Orange Senior Center, 32000 Chagrin Boulevard,
Pepper Pike.  This class will meet for six weeks on Tuesdays from
1 p.m. until 3 p.m. starting on September 13.  
     Eberlin will also teach a class on Beginning Bridge at the
same location.  This class will meet for six weeks on Wednesdays
from 10 a.m. until noon starting on September 14.
     For any other information call (440) 461-4963.
_______________________________________________________
Bernstein is a free-lance writer in Solon. 
To reach Harvey Bernstein:
hjb0416@yahoo.com