Grand Slam Force

A jump to 5NT after trump agreement is the Grand Slam Force, asking about the high honor cards in the trump suit. The responses vary depending on the trump suit.

With S as trump 6 C jack or less 6 D queen 6 H ace or king, minimum length 6 S ace or king, extra length 7S 2 of the top 3 honors

With H as trump 6C queen or less 6D ace or king, minimum length 6H ace or king, extra length 7 H 2 of the top 3 honors

With D as trump 6 C queen or less 6D ace or king 7D 2 of the top 3 honors

With C as trump 6 C zero or one honor 7 C 2 of the top 3 honors

Grand Slam Force

(Courtesy of Bob Crosby)

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

S AKQx HAQJ10 DKQJxx C void

and were thinking of opening 2C when Maurice opened 1C . I responded 1D and Maurice bid 2C . I bid 2H 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 7D 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, 6C shows Ace or King and 6D shows the Queen . You do it this way so you can have 6D as an asking bid for extra length . With spades you can have a field day. 6S is the death response so you have 6H that you can define for something . 6C is A or King , 6D is queen and 6H is queen with extra length.

With clubs agreed it is just a yes no response . 7C says you have both and 6 says you do not. With diamonds agreed , to be consistent with the majors returning to the trump suit 6D should be the death response . 6C 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.

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

West East 4H 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? 6C and 6D can be used to show hands that cannot play seven opposite a void, but can play opposite a singleton, doubleton, or tripleton, i.e.: 4H 5NT 6C 6D 6C = solid suit opposite either a singleton or a doubleton trump support; now the 5NT bidder bids 7H with a doubleton,or 6D with a singleton; with a void he signs off in 6H.

4H 5NT 6C 6D = I have a singleton With HAKxxxxxx, West signs off in six hearts. With HAKQxxxx, he bids seven.

Example Hand: West S9 HA K 9 7 6 5 4 2 DJ 8 7 CJ East SA 6 5 Hx DA 4 CAKQ6543

4H 5NT 6C 6D 6H pass

Here 6C said West has a good chance for no losers opposite either a singleton or doubleton trump. With only a singleton heart, East bids 6D and West signs off. 6D = my suit is "solid" only opposite the queen or three small trumps.

Example Hand: West S J 8 HA K T 9 7 6 5 DJ 8 7 2 Cvoid East SA 6 H8 4 2 DA 4 CA K Q J 5 4

4H 5NT 6D 7NT pass Returning to our preview problem:

You pick up, both sides vul: S xx HAKQJx D -- CAKxxxx

Partner opens 4S. 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 6C, showing a suit that can play for no losers opposite either a singleton or doubleton, you bid 7S. Partner has eight spades to the ace-king.