Choice of Slam

 

Playing matchpoints we must often choose between the better-scoring slam (usually 6NT) or the potentially safer slam (perhaps we may need a ruff for our 12th trick).  And, on other occasions, we'll not be sure which is going to be the better slam, and we bid 5NT offering Partner a choice.

 

 

3rd May, 2006                   Board 8       Dealer West        None Vul

 

 

In this Jacoby Transfer sequence, 3♦ was natural and game-forcing, and 3♥ agreed Diamonds.  At this point, South has a perfect hand for Roman Key Card Blackwood, and there are various ways that this can be done, depending on partnership agreement:

     4NT:              We’ve seen before that using 4NT in minor suit auctions can be ineffective, there’s not

                            always enough bidding space (though on this deal the straightforward 4NT works just fine);

     Redwood:      Some partnerships use 4♦ as Blackwood with Clubs agreed, and 4♥ as Blackwood with

                            Diamonds agreed;

     Minorwood:   This is the method used in the featured auction … Diamonds are agreed, the auction is

                            game-forcing and 4 of the agreed minor is available as Blackwood.

 

North’s 5♣ showed 2 Key Cards with the Q♦, so now South can reasonably bid a grand slam.  But, which one, 7♦ or 7♠ or 7NT?  True, 7♠ will score better than 7♦, but, as a matter of fact, 7♠ is the one grand that you should not bid … if 7♠ makes then so will 7NT.  It’s possible to construct hands where 7♦ makes when 7NT does not (for example when the Spades need a ruff to set up the suit).  Then again, the reverse applies, it maybe possible to make 7NT when the Diamonds do not come home.  All in all, it seems pretty clear to go for the maximum and bid 7NT.

 

 

26th July, 2006                  Board 15      Dealer South      N-S Vul

 

 

West’s 4♦ was a cue-bid showing a Diamond control, in this case the King.  It also denies a Club control, so we can now forget about bidding the grand slam.  Surely 6♠ has at least a decent play, and may well be cold, and we could just bid it directly.  Of course, we would have preferred to play 6♠ from our side, in case our K♣ requires protecting.  How about 6NT?  If 6♠ makes, then, provided that Partner has the A♥, we will also have 12 tricks in No Trump.  Yes, the solution here is to bid 4NT, Roman Key Card for Spades.  If Partner shows the one Key Card, we can be sure that it will be the A♥, and we can safely bid 6NT.  If Partner shows no Key Cards, we’ll have to settle for 6♠.

 

OK, let’s suppose that Partner shows us that one Key Card via a 5♣ (1430) response.  Should we now use the Queen Ask (5♦) to make sure that we don’t have a potential trump loser?   We wouldn’t bother.  First of all, we might have 12 tricks without the benefit of the long Spades.  Secondly, even if we need the Spades and are missing the Queen, our 9-card fit still gives us a reasonable chance (58% if Partner has the Jack, 45% otherwise).  And, thirdly, if we have to lose a Spade, then even 5♠ might be in danger on the lead of a Club.

 

 

30th August, 2006             Board 7      Dealer South       Both Vul

 

 

Partner showed Heart support with that 4♦ bid, playing it as natural in this auction can hardly be right.  Therefore, it’s safe to assume that Partner does not have the A♣, otherwise, of course, he would have bid 4♣.  After our Roman Key Card ask, his 5♥ showed 2 Key Cards without the Queen of trumps.  So, it’s fair to say that Partner holds the A♠ and K♥, in which case we can surely have a play for 6♥.

 

That’s all well and good, but how about 6NT?  That’s the ticket!  Relying on the A♠ and K♥ we can count 10 top tricks.  Of course, Partner has more than just that for his 4♦ bid, and it won’t take much more to make 12 tricks in No Trump … just the Q♣ … or the QJ♠ … or the Q♦ and the Q♠ … or various lesser holdings which may also require a Club guess (or a Club lead).  Yes, we certainly like 6NT here!

 

On the actual hand, Partner has ♠ AQJ43, which is plenty good enough for 12 tricks (and good for 13 tricks if the defense fails to cash that A♣ pronto).

 

 

13th June, 2006                 Board 23      Dealer South       Both Vul

 

 

What’s happened so far?  Partner made a 2♦ waiting bid, and her 2NT rebid was also somewhat nebulous, it showed some values by dint of the failure to make a “second negative bid of 3♣”.  Stoppers in all of the unbid suits?  No, we don’t think so.  North’s 3♠ bid can hardly be natural, she merely has a good hand and something in Spades.  It’s not even clear at this point that she has Heart support, she may just be too good to sign off in 3NT.  Our 4♣, and Partner’s 5♣, were both cue-bids, and now it’s crunch time.

 

It’s fair to assume that Partner has the A♠ and the K♣, so assuming that the Hearts are running we can count 11 tricks.  Yes, surely there’s a 12^th somewhere and the question is not whether to bid slam, but which slam to bid.  No doubt we are missing the K♦ and it’s too bad that we cannot play 6NT from our side.  As that is not an option, we’d suggest playing in 6♥, reluctantly settling for the lower scoring contract in order to right-side the contract.

 

 

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