Friday, August 29, 2003 1:41 AM

Grand Slam Force

PITBULLS:

Interesting hand came up tonight playing with Maurice in our Thursday nite IMPS. You hold

A	A	K	v
K	Q	Q	o
Q	J	J	i
x	10	x	d
		x

and were thinking of opening 2♣ when Maurice opened 1♣ . I responded 1♦ and Maurice bid 2♣ . I bid 2♥ and Maurice gave me diamond preference. The hand is now simple since KCB with a void in partners suit is silly . You go back to the Culbertson days and bid 5NT . If partner has the diamond Ace you bid 7♦ otherwise you stay in a bland 6 contract . With the majors , the return to the trump suit is the death response showing no honours period . Bidding 7 of course , shows 2 of the top 3 unless you are Susan playing in the CWTC finals . With spades you have an extra step which you can define as something useful with your partners .

With hearts agreed, 6♣ shows Ace or King and 6♦ shows the Queen . You do it this way so you can have 6♦ as an asking bid for extra length . With spades you can have a field day . 6 spades is the death response so you have 6♥ that you can define for something . 6♣ is A or King , 6♦ is queen and 6♥ is queen with extra length.

With clubs agreed it is just a yes no response . 7♣ says you have both and 6 says you do not. With diamonds agreed , to be consistent with the majors returning to the trump suit 6♦ should be the death response . 6♣ is saying I do have the Ace or King of diamonds. This should be discussed as bidding a grand off the Ace of trump hurts in the IMP department.

The Grand Slam Force can be used in a modified form when partner shows a long and strong suit. Here, the Grand Slam Force does not ask for two of the top three honors, but, rather, for solidity. The idea is too answer solidarity with partner holding a void , singleton , doubleton , 3 small or queen.

West dealer

East-West vul (note that this might not apply if E-W were not vul)

West East

4♥ 5NT

In general, a jump to seven shows a suit that will run even opposite a void, like AKQJxxxx. But what about bids at the six-level? 6♣ can be used to show hands that cannot play seven opposite a void, but can play opposite a singleton or doubleton, & 6♦ can play opposite a tripleton or queen i.e.:

West East or West East

4♥ 5NT 4♥ 5NT

6♣ 6♦

6♣ = solid suit opposite either a singleton or a doubleton trump support; now the 5NT bidder bids 7♥ with a doubleton, or 6♦ with a singleton; with a void he signs off in 6♥.

West East

4♥ 5NT

6♣ 6♦ = I have a singleton

With © AKxxxxxx, West signs off in six hearts. With © AKQxxxx, he bids seven.

Example Hand:

West East

ª 9 ª A 6 5

¨ J 8 7 ¨ A 4

§ J § A K Q 6 5 4 3

4♥ 5NT

6♣ 6♦

6♥ pass

Here 6♣ said West has a good chance for no losers opposite either a singleton or doubleton trump. With only a singleton heart, East bids 6♦ and West signs off.

6♦ = my suit is "solid" only opposite the queen or three small trumps.

Example Hand:

West East

ª J 8 ª A 6

¨ J 8 7 2 ¨ A 4

§ — § A K Q J 5 4

4♥ 5NT

6♦ 7NT

pass

Returning to our preview problem:

You pick up, both sides vul:

ª xx

¨ --

§ AKxxxx

Partner opens 4♠.

What is your call?

You bid 5NT. You assume partner has a strong spade suit. So 5NT asks partner to show exactly how strong. If partner bids 6♣, showing a suit that can play for no losers opposite either a singleton or doubleton, you bid 7♠. Partner has eight spades to the ace-king.