This bid hardly ever comes up, but when it does, it can be very useful. In this case we got a very good result that depended upon some luck. I did not record the exact hand, and so I might not have the cards exactly right. I was sitting East.
Board #3
South dealer
East-West vulnerable
West
♠ K x
♥ A x
♦ A K Q x x x
♣ x x x
| | East
♠ A Q J x x
♥ K x
♦ x x
♣ K x x x
|
|
| | | | |
| South | West | North | East |
| P | 1♦ | P | 1♠ |
| P | 3N | P | 6N |
| P | P | P | |
| | | |
West's hand is too unbalanced for a 1NT opener. He must therefore humbly start the auction with 1♦. East's 1♠ response is also cut and dried. The game force can be put in later.
West's second bid of 3NT promises a long running suit. It does NOT promise a hand that was too strong for 1NT. A rebid of 2NT shows a balanced or nearly balanced hand with 18-19 points, and an opening bid of 2NT shows a stronger hand yet. The 3NT bid promises a source of tricks. West could have made that bid without the ♠K. I would have been reluctant to make it without the stopper in hearts.
Ordinarily responder passes a 3NT rebid with stoppers or bids 4♦ if he/she is worried about the side suits. I had a source of tricks of my own and pretty good stoppers in both side suits. I decided to take a chance and go for the slam. In the immortal words of Edgar Sousè "You've got to take a chance when you're young."
The contract goes down a club lead, but no one found it. My partner discarded a spade from the board on one of his diamonds. He was probably hoping that he could still make the bid if the spades did not split as long as the ♣K was in North's hand. This tactic forced him to concede a club at the end. At both of the other tables the declarers took all thirteen tricks, but they had only contracted for nine.
My bid was pretty risky, but I trusted that my partner could figure out a way to finagle twelve tricks with stoppers and two quality suits. For once I was right.