[Fluffy]

1♣-1♥
2♠-3♥

I won't have problems to reach slam, but I will have problems to eb sure there ain't 2 keycards out in hearts, the 2 spades bidder won't be so king to colaborate now I am afraid. Maybe 6NT from the wrong side is the final call.

[petergreat]

Is this really a good slam? Wouldn't a diamond lead through the K defeat it, possible 2 due to a diamond ruff?

1♣ - 1♥
1♠ - 2♦ (1)
3♣ (2) - 3♥ (3)
4♣ (4) - 4♠ (5)
5♥ (6) - 6NT (7)


(1) 4th suit game forcing
(2) Confirms good 5-card club suit
(3) Confirms good 5-card heart suit
(4) Confirms slam interest, since it bypasses 3NT
(5) Spade stopper
(6) Heart King.
(7) Responder sees 6 heart tricks, 3 club tricks, 1 spade trick, and since opener must have 18 points or so for slam try he must have something in spades.

[Cascade]

petergreat, on Jul 16 2009, 08:57 PM, said:

Is this really a good slam? Wouldn't a diamond lead through the K defeat it, possible 2 due to a diamond ruff?

If the heart hand declares then the lead is not through the diamond king.

[ochinko]

I believe the problem with the answers so far are that the experts (whom I highly respect) are too much influenced by 2/1. I am among the minority that find SAYC's approach more natural as you don't have to "invent" suits.

I use 4SF as much as the next guy, but don't see how it is useful here, so if the bidding starts with:

1♣ - 1♥
1♠ - 3♥

South seeing that he is two tricks better than his minimum, and knowing that North must have 6+ really good hearts, could consider a slam even with a singleton ♥K.

[marcD]

awm, on Jul 13 2009, 01:47 AM, said:

1♣ - 1♥ is an obvious start.

Opener has the first interesting decision at his rebid. There are three reasonable options:

1♠ is the "book" bid, with a wide range of values and hand types. It is not forcing but could be a good hand.

2♠ is a slight overbid that gets the values across. It's forcing to game and so a bit pushy with 18 opposite what could be 6.

2NT is a reasonable call, showing 18-19 balanced. Obviously this hand has a singleton, but with a singleton king it is often reasonable to treat the hand as balanced. If partner has six hearts and insists on playing there, this will be reasonable support.

Note that on the actual hand, responder has an easy time forcing to slam opposite either the 2♠ or 2NT rebid. So the hand is only really a bidding "problem" if opener chooses 1♠.

After 1♣-1♥-1♠, responder has a game force and is not yet sure where to play the hand. He should bid 2♦ "fourth suit forcing" to get more information from partner. So 1♣-1♥-1♠-2♦! is a reasonable start.

Now opener has another decision at his third bid. The main question here is how you play a 3♦ rebid. One way to play it is "length but no stopper with a good hand" which describes opener's cards perfectly. But some would play it as more "natural" (like a 4045 hand) in which case 3♣ would be a better option.

Either way, responder should bid 3♥ over opener's 3♣/3♦ to suggest hearts as trump and look for slam.

Opener now needs to recognize after 1♣-1♥-1♠-2♦!-3♣/3♦-3♥ that he has a very good hand. Partner has shown a game force and he has big extras (18 where he could have 12) and also has an okay fit for hearts (singleton king much better than small singleton). He needs to push for slam, but his hand is wrong for bidding keycard because diamonds are potentially wide open. He should try to find a call to express extras and a heart fit.

It's reasonable to treat 4♦ here as showing exactly that, since a natural interpretation doesn't make much sense and 4♥ obviously could be minimum. This is a "gadget" of sorts but a popular one among good players (impossible suit bid at the four level = raise of partner's major too good to bid 4M). Without this gadget, you can always bid 5♥ which should be a slam try in hearts normally weak in the unbid suit.

I think this post captures very well the issues. I would bid 1♣-1♥/1♠-2♦/3♦-3♥ (prefer 1S over 2S as I do not want to emphasize too much clubs / we may even belong in diamonds !), 3D over 2D shows 5C non minimum, diamond fragment and uncertainty over final contract).
Over 3♥ I would cue bid 4♣ (side benefit of not emphasizing clubs too much earlier in the auction). 4♦ would show diamond control for me .
That said the is not the best slam ever and getting to 6♥ or 6NT by North is not that easy

[gnasher]

ochinko, on Jul 16 2009, 10:29 AM, said:

I am among the minority that find SAYC's approach more natural as you don't have to "invent" suits.

...

1♣ - 1♥
1♠ - 3♥

In SAYC, 3♥ is non-forcing.

[EricK]

1♣ 2♥
2♠ 2NT
6NT is a simple auction; but it risks missing the grand.

1♣ 2♥
2♠ 2NT
3♥ 3♠
4NT etc is only slightly more complicated (opener agrees ♥ even though he is not planning to play in ♥), but has a good chance of reaching the grand if it is there.