We conclude Friday the 13th¡¯s Grand-Slam-a-Palooza with Board 23:
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Jerik managed to convince their opponents to stop in 4S. but everyone else reached at least a small slam. Kerma¡¯s opponents were the only ones to take only twelve tricks (in 6NT), three pairs made the overtrick in 6S, five pairs made the overtrick in 6NT, and the E-w top for 7NT = was shared by Kedndall (who began the game with this board) and Karleta.
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There is nothing to the play. Only South¡¯s holding all five spades (and the heart king¡¯s not dropping singleton) will defeat 7NT. This hand comes down to a bidding exercise. Anyone in the East seat can find West¡¯s two aces in the minors. It comes down to a question of whether East can find West¡¯s spade queen while also allowing for the possibility of finding a diamond fit, as 7D could well be a worthwhile spot if West holds four diamonds and one or two low spades.
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That probably explains why only two pairs bid the grand slam ¨C a much better one, note, missing the irrelevant (to East) heart king, than the grand slams with all four aces and kings but missing a vital queen or two. Keeping the option open to find a diamond fit reduces the chance of East¡¯s being able to ask for key cards in spades. If East could make a strong jump shift and were to begin with 2S (appropriate if the hand were AKJ10xx? Ax? KQJ? Kx), it would be easy. West might opt for 2NT to let East show whether the hand intended to play in hearts or spades; over either 2NT or 3H, East could rebid 3S, then follow with 4NT clearly asking for key cards in spades.
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That does remind me of a hand from about 1991, when, partnering Herself, I escaped a bidding accident with a decent result. Holding AKQJ10xx? Kx? x ?Axx, I was responder on the sequence 1H-2S; 3C-3S; 4D-4NT; 5H-7S, As Hildegarde Gilley put her opening lead face down, I remarked that at least it wasn¡¯t an ace. Hildegard asked why I thought it wasn¡¯t an ace, to which I replied that surely she wouldn¡¯t have expected me to ask for key cards with a void, so that, holding an ace, she¡¯d have doubled (especially given that, as Fredda and Shirley may recall from the time when the both doubled 1NT-6NT only to have Mary and Louise run to and make 7D because the wrong side couldn¡¯t find the killing lead), especially as she¡¯d still have been on opening lead had we run to 7NT. Hildegarde turned over the ace of diamonds. Herself put down x? Axxx? KQxx? Jxxx, having outdone herself by producing an auction in which all her bids were wrong. 1H was light. 3C completely didn¡¯t describe the hand, as I could not possibly want to play in clubs on the auction 1H-2S. 4D was even worse, going past 3NT as well as sounding like an encouraging call after I¡¯d set spades firmly as trumps. 5H could not possibly have been right. Herself thought that 4NT asked for key cards in diamonds as the last bid suit, but not when my bidding had indicated that I clearly intended to play with spades as trumps. But, if I really were asking for key cards in diamonds, of course her correct response would have been 5S to show two key cards with the diamond queen. That would at least have tipped me off to the auction¡¯s having gone off the rails somewhere. But 7S one down was not a bad result at all. In addition to her diamond ace, Hildegarde¡¯s clubs were 1098 and her partner¡¯s KQx. Various other tables reached small slams in spades or no-trumps, all going two down after a club lead from either side.
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If East responds 1S to 1H, then West presumably rebids 2H, which likely for East removes the possibility of 7D (although, if East¡¯s diamonds were KQJ10, one might keep the thought in mind, as 7D would be quite playable opposite x? QJxxxx? Axx? Axx). East¡¯s problem is how to set spades as trumps in a forcing auction, to be able to ask for key cards in spades. If 3S were forcing, as the sequence was once, that would be lovely; West would carry on to 4S and off we¡¯d go. But with 3S as invitational, all East can do is bid 3m, presumably 3D. Here, pairs that play Flannery pick up an advantageous negative inference. In a Flannery auction, 1H-1S shows a five-card suit, so that here, on the third round, West can give delayed support on Qx not expecting partner to take that support as showing three spades. It seems like magical thinking to expect anyone to play 1H-1S; 2H-3D; 3NT-4NT as asking for key cards in spades. It might likely be taken as not a key card ask at all. The only thing that comes to mind is for East to bid the fourth suit at the four level. If East bids 4C over 3NT, West finally gets around to 4S, and then we¡¯ll hope 4NT is sufficiently clear.
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In contemplating whether Jerik might have had a hand in getting their opponents to stop in game, I considered the ramifications of a 3C weak jump overcall by North (which might appeal to Carl, who is well known for bidding DONT with only two HCP). If anything, though, it seemed as if it might just make it Easier for East to ask for key cards in spades after 3S over 3C and then 4NT over West¡¯s likely 3NT rebid.
