CONTRACT BRIDGE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 54, 5 March 1937, Page 6

CONTRACT BRIDGE.

A GRAND SLAM FOR A\ T AVERAGE. (By ELY CULBEKTSOX.) When a partnership in a rubber game bids and makes a grand slam, the thrill that accoiii|ian it*-* it last* for hour-'. All of us remember our successful grand slam eontract* much better than we <lo our games and part scores. Even in duplicate bridge the bidding and making of a grand *lam. regardless of the suit, generally assures the player who made it of at least a tie for top weore. Judge, then. th» astonishment of the Xorth player on the hand below when, after bidding and making » grand slam with Hearts as trump. «he discovered that her score was half a match point below the average obtainable on the hoard. Smith dealer. Xorth and South vulnerable.

- — A« T have stated, the contract here was seven Hearts, a |»erfectly logical contract in any bridge game except tlie artificial game based 011 match point scoring. At four of the eight table* a grand slam in no trump was reached, which. as no t,'ii 111 j> counts more in the trick score. gave to tluve four teams a tie for top. Following them was the team which hid a grand slam in Hearts, and next, one step hplow. was a team which bid a small slam in no trump. The seventh team contented itself with a small slam in Hearts, while the eighth stopped at three no trump, t lie bidding there being: South North 1 X.T. 3 X.T. P H SS Where the grand slam was reached in no trump, the bidding went a« follows; South West North Eaat 1 * Pass ] V Pa >s ■'! ♦ Pa-s 4 * 1'„«h 4 X.T. I\«»s 5 X.T. Pas* « V Pass 7 X.T. Pas* Pa** Pass In view of the fact that South had a very strong hand and that bin partner had made a response that he was well able to support, the unconventional force with t*'e Diamond suit was very fine, as it afforded ati opportunity for further exchange of valuable information before the bidding: got too high. If X'orth raised Diamonds. South could always return to Hearts. South'* four-no-trunvp bid was conventional, showing two Are* and the King of a bid suit, and X'orth's conventional response of five no trump showed the other two Aces. South, now knowing that Xorth had the Diamond Ace, showed his strong Heart support bv bidding six Hearts. Xorth had not at this point shown nearly as much strength as lie held, so that he wa* fully justified in bidding the grand slam; and in compliance with the artificial requirements of match-point duplicate scoring, bid #eveu no trump so that his trick score would be 240 point* instead of tlie 210 |>oint* he would have received for seven tricks in Heart*. Ea't dealer.

The haml will he in next week's article.