The slam bidding needs a lot of work

Bjorn Borg said, “To win the last point in a grand slam tournament, that’s the most beautiful and most satisfying feeling you can get as a tennis player.”

Tennis players love the grand slams. Most bridge pairs, though, as we have seen this week, shy away from slams. Look at this deal. What is the best contract? What do you think of the given auction and the opening lead?

In a duplicate with 26 tables, only three pairs reached a slam, all in six no-trump. The best contract, though, is seven clubs. With clubs 2-2, you can claim these 13 tricks: two spades, two hearts, two diamonds, five clubs and two spade ruffs in the South hand. If clubs are less favorable, you might be able to ruff down the spade queenjack, or be forced to find the heart queen.

South should have opened one club. His hand was worth 18 points. North, after using Stayman, should have rebid three clubs, showing four spades, five-plus clubs and a good hand. Then South would have been off to the races, immediately using Roman Key Card Blackwood. Opposite three key cards (two aces and the club king), South probably would have bid seven clubs. But he might have settled for six on the argument that six making seven would always be a good score, but seven down one would be a zero.

Yes, South got a near top by taking all 13 tricks in three no-trump after West’s unwise lead. He should have chosen the diamond queen.

Note finally that North’s three-club rebid would have been forcing only to three no-trump if the hands did not mesh well.