Grand Slam

[el tombo]

Before we get to the hand I think the bidding needs explaining. With this partner (who is 15) we play no cuebids, standard blackwood, A completely natural system, Acol, 4 card majors etc...

 

Partner is North who opens

I am South who responds

 

1S (Pass) 2H (3D);

3S - 4C

4S - 4N

5D - 7C

 

4C = Natural

4N = Standard

5D = 1 Ace

 

7C was an attempt to get partner to pick the best grand slam. I was worried about the spade suit quality and I thought partner had less than 3 hearts so I didn't know 7H could be on. I realise blackwood was probably a waste of time with my hand (The south hand) but 7C was passed out and we missed 2 cold grands but here is the hand anyway:

 

S: KQJxxxx

H: AJxx

D: x

C: x

 

S: Ax

H: KQTxx

D: -

C: AKQTxx

 

Lead: 9 of Spades

 

I reasoned that the Diamond overcall by LHO ment that they probably didn't have 3 small clubs so I played for clubs to be 4-2 onside by cashing the Ace and King of Clubs then crossing to table in spades, ruffing a spade, cross with a heart, ruff a heart, cross with another heart and run spades for a trump coup.

 

What are your thoughts on this hand? Was 7C wrong from my point of view? Should I play for trumps to be 3-3 (which they were)?

[Benoit35]

With partner insisting so much on spades I would have gone for a spade contract, especially holding the ace.

[Finch]

Your line (which I think you have mis-typed slightly) is

 

Ace of spades

2 top clubs

spade to dummy

diamond ruff

heart to dummy

spade ruff

heart to dummy

spades

 

For this to work, RHO needs to have 5 or more major suit cards including at least 2 spades and at least 2 hearts. That gives him at most 4 diamonds (2=3=4=4, 3=2=4=4), which gives LHO 8 of the things.

 

You haven't given the vulnerability, but is an 8-card suit possible for LHO, given that LHO must have most of the diamond honours as RHO hasn't raised diamonds?