All News

                           

Top Marks.

Today’s bidding problem is not one I am going to give to the Panel for fear of Michael Ware being for once correct with his often quoted statement “unanimous, surely?” The only change to that statement re this problem is to remove the question mark!

It is surely not a problem. Look:

 

3NT rebid is 18-19 balanced. Do you need to know any more? How can you bid any less?

A quick piece of mathematics would tell you that there could be a stray queen or even two missing jacks. Surely, even the most pessimistic of bridge players would take their chances with 7NT? If this contract were to fail, then you must have some company? There must be some play for all 13 tricks and if there were not, then it would be just a little embarrassing that those who pulled up short had not tried for our top undoubled contract.

Rest assured that although opener was minimum and that between the 2 hands, there were just a combined 38 hcp, that the missing red suit jacks were not contract threatening. You will soon see all four hands.

What is unique about the lay-out of these four hands?

To stop you peeking immediately at the answer, let’s dispel any immediate thoughts that this deal was contrived. It was Board 7 at the Juniors’ bridge night at the Auckland Bridge Club on Monday August 5^th this year.

It certainly is not unique in that there is no such thing as a flat grand slam and indeed, the grand was certainly not bid around the room this particular evening. Indeed, only 2 of the lucky 6 East-West pairs bid to 7NT and only one pair bid to 6NT. Yes, the others rested safely at the game level. The pairs were given some help from mentors too.

So, take a look at all four hands.

 

With spades and diamonds breaking evenly, there were 11 tricks in those suits. Add on three tricks in both hearts and clubs and the “grand” total comes to 17 tricks. Note that had one opponent held JT98 and the other T9863, that there were still 13 tricks in 7NT. No need indeed for conservatism.

Grand Contracts

7 is also a pretty good contract once trumps break with no sign of a side-suit loser. If you were in 7 of either black suit, you would hold your breath as you started to draw trumps. The breaks in those suits were very kind, not that you really wanted to make either the trump suit.

So, what made this deal unique? When did you last see a deal when grand – slam could be made in all 5 denominations? Yes, that includes hearts where we have just a 3-3 fit!

Now, you would not want to make that suit trumps, would you? Never..well, not intentionally. 

6-card grand-slams

6 trumps in a grand slam is not ideal when there are no more than 4 in one hand though in a recent tournament, two strong NZ Open players contrived to make a suit of  AKT6   opposite QJ doubleton their trump suit. The bad news was that they had far more combined cards in a different suit where grand slam would have made easily. However, the “sub-moysian” grand was also cold when this trump suit broke 4-3.

Of course, with our 7 contract here, you cannot draw trumps or else’s North “powerful” suit above (to save you looking upwards, the 4-card suit is headed by 6!) would produce a winner.

However, let’s say East got to the wheel in this unlikely contract and South led J. This slam is a prime example of why one should never give up even if you seem destined to fail in your contract.

Win Q and cross your fingers as you cash four spade tricks to be followed by three club tricks and then a second diamond trick. That’s 9 top tricks and you still have AKQ to come. You now have to be lucky as you play the 13^th club and ruff with 8.

Maybe the defenders are getting a little tetchy when that card wins trick 10. All that remains is to remember to ruff a spade with Q, a diamond with K leaving A to take trick 13…..and you have made all 13 tricks in your 3-3 fit. 

I bet you have never achieved that! Would anyone dare to suggest the odds that a random deal can include making 13 tricks in every denomination with one of them being a 3-3 fit? Maybe you are used to deals where nowhere can you make even 7 tricks!

So, next time you have a bidding accident and finish in a contract with minimal trumps, remember one thing. There may yet still be a way to succeed. After, you may be in a more modest 4 or 5 level contract.

Richard Solomon

Thanks to Duncan Badley who witnessed this deal being played

Go Back View All News Items