Dealer E, Vul N-S, You are South, and you hold:

♠ A63
♥ A932
♦ KJ9
♣ K74

*2♠ = spades and a minor

Regards, Albert

Hi Albert,

Assuming 3♥ is natural and game forcing (which is Standard – with competitive hands, I presume you can use a conventional 2NT bid as Lebensohl), I’m think I’m going to pass (forcing). The fourth heart really makes me want to bid 5♥, but with the opponents indicating a likely 9 or 10-card fit, partner may be stretching to bid 3♥ with a shortage in spades. If that’s the case, I don’t want to commit to 5♥ if partner has, say, 8 points with a singleton or void in spades. For example, opposite x KQxxx xxx Axxx I don’t think I (partner) would enjoy a 5♥ contract at all. Oh, and partner will be declaring the hand so East may be able to lead his short minor through our king to get a ruff – therefore, I want to give the decision to partner.

Over my pass, if partner doubles I will sit it. Otherwise, partner knows from my (forcing) pass that I was interested in competing to the 5-level so if he has a decent/offensive hand, he can bid on.

Regards,
Andy

Albert:

The bidding continues:

What would you bid after this auction, this time as North?
North holds:
♠ Q
♥ KQ10874
♦ AQ1083
♣ 8

Regards, Albert

Andy:

After this continuation, I think I will forgo the grand and just be content with 6♥. Slam is almost certain to make as partner is quite likely to have 2 aces (at least) to have made a forcing pass over 4♠. A grand slam will be tough to find, and we’d actually need certain key cards from partner: the 3 aces and the ♦K (and partner almost never has the ‘perfecto hand’). If we make a grand-going move with say 5NT or something, partner may not know that Axx Axx xx AKJxx is not a great hand. As it’s very difficult to judge, I would be happy with 6♥.

Another good thing about bidding 6♥ is that the opponents might not save in 6♠. Well they’re quite likely to based on this vulnerability, but what I mean is, if we make a grand slam move with say 5NT and partner declines it and bids 6♥, the opponents will then be quite certain that our 6♥ slam will make and they will definitely take the sacrifice. If we bid 6♥ instead without any grand slam invite, the opponents may think we’re taking the gamble.

Regards,
Andy