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What’s Standard? by David Lindop

This series is based on Grant ♣ Standard, a set of conventions and REPLYING TO 5 agreements that are in popular use Slam Bidding — 6♣ 3 kings today, such a 15-17 1NT openings, 5NT 3 kings five-card majors, and weak two- Part IV 5♠ 2 kings bids. A summary chart of Grant 5♥ 1 king Standard and the corresponding 5♦ 0 kings can be found at REPLYING TO ♣ www.AudreyGrant.com. The site GERBER (4 ) Suppose these are the combined also has Grant Basic, a simpler set 4NT 3 aces partnership hands: of agreements. 4♠ 2 aces WEST EAST Earlier articles in this series 4♥ 1 ace ♠ A K 6 ♠ 4 ♥ ♥ appeared in the Bridge Bulletin and 4♦ 0 or 4 aces A 10 5 2 KQ 7 can also be found under ‘Articles’at ♦ A 4 ♦ K Q J 8 7 6 3 ♣ ♣ www.AudreyGrant.com. For example: 10 8 7 3 A 4 WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH hen a suit has been WEST EAST ♠ ♠ 1NT Pass 4♣ Pass agreed and there is KJ 6 4 ♥ ♥ 4NT Pass 5♣ Pass enough combined strength A J 10 5 KQ 7 W ♦ 10 4 ♦ K Q J 8 7 6 3 5♥ Pass 7NT All Pass for a slam, the ♣ K Q J 8 ♣ A 4 can be used to check on the number When West shows three aces and of aces held by the partnership. We WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH a king in response to Gerber, East don’t want to be in a slam contract 1NT Pass 4♣ Pass can bid a grand slam. East might as missing two aces. When no trump 4♥ Pass 5♦ All Pass well bid it in notrump since East suit has been agreed, a different East responds with 4♣, Gerber, to can count thirteen tricks: one spade, approach is required. the 1NT opening. West replies 4♥ three hearts, seven diamonds, a to show one ace. Knowing two aces club, and whichever king opener Gerber are missing, East signs off safely in holds—it doesn’t matter whether ♠ ♣ Suppose partner ♠ 4 a game contract of 5♦. opener has the K or K. opens 1NT (15-17) ♥ KQ 7 After the 4♥ reply, East could have Blackwood or Gerber? and we hold this ♦ K Q J 8 7 6 3 bid 4NT as a signoff bid. It would On a given auction, either Blackwood hand. We have 18 ♣ A 4 ♦ not be as safe a contract as 5 , since or Gerber will apply, but not both. points: 15 high-card points plus 3 it might be defeated with a spade The partnership needs some general length points for the seven-card suit. lead. The point is, however, that agreements on which convention That puts us in the slam zone since 4NT is a signoff after using Gerber. applies in any situation. The usual the partnership has a combined total Suppose these are the two hands: agreements are the following: of at least 33 points (18 + 15). We WEST EAST know diamonds would be a suitable ♠ A 10 6 ♠ 4 BLACKWOOD OR GERBER? trump suit since partner must have ♥ A J 10 5 ♥ KQ 7 at least two. The only thing stopping ♦ ♦ • 4NT is Blackwood if the part- 10 4 K Q J 8 7 6 3 nership has agreed (or implied us from jumping right to 6♦ is that ♣ K Q J 8 ♣ A 4 we could be missing two aces. agreement) on a trump suit. WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH ♣ We can’t jump to 4NT to ask for • 4 is Gerber if the last bid was 1NT Pass 4♣ Pass a natural 1NT or 2NT. aces because 4NT is not Blackwood ♠ ♦ 4 Pass 6 All Pass • After Stayman or a Jacoby after a natural notrump opening bid. It When West shows two aces with ♣ would be a quantitative—invitational ♠ transfer bid, a jump to 4 is the 4 reply, East can confidently Gerber and 4NT is quantitative. —raise, which opener could pass. bid 6♦, knowing the defenders have To get around this dilemma, we can only one ace to take. Although this is straightforward in use the Gerber convention. After a If the reply to 4♣ shows that the most situations, even experienced natural 1NT or 2NT bid, a jump to ♣ partnership holds all the aces and partnerships will sometimes have a 4 is artificial and asks how many we are interested in a grand slam, a misunderstanding. Let’s look at aces partner holds. The responses are: bid of 5♣ now asks about kings: some examples. BETTER 14 BRIDGE VOL. 10, NO. 6 JULY/AUGUST 2006 BB

WEST EAST WEST EAST Handling Interference ♠ ♠ ♠ ♠ K Q 8 6 3 A 5 A 7 K Q 8 5 On distributional deals, the opponents ♥ A 10 3 ♥ K Q J 6 5 2 ♥ K Q 10 5 ♥ J 4 ♦ K 9 2 ♦ 4 ♦ K 9 2 ♦ AQJ 5 may compete even when we are ♣ 7 3 ♣ AKJ 5 ♣ A J 6 2 ♣ K 9 3 looking for slam. They may interfere over Blackwood or Gerber just to WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH mess up our responses. So, we need 1♠ Pass 2♥ Pass 1NT Pass 2♣ Pass to know what to do. 3♥ Pass 4NT Pass 2♥ Pass 4NT Pass ♦ ♥ An opponent’s bid takes away some 5 Pass 6 All Pass 6NT Pass Pass Pass of our bidding room but gives us the Once the partnership has agreed With 16 points, East wants to additional options of passing or on hearts as the trump suit, East’s invite slam but starts with the doubling. This leads to a popular way ♣ 4NT bid is clearly Blackwood. 4 by to look for an of handling interference that can be East would be a cuebid, not Gerber. eight-card spade fit. When West remembered by the mnemonic D0P1: WEST EAST shows a four-card heart suit, East ♠ J 8 7 3 ♠ A 10 5 makes a natural invitation with a D0P1 OVER INTERFERENCE ♥ K Q 5 2 ♥ J 8 3 quantitative raise to 4NT. With a ♦ ♦ Double 0 or 4 aces A 9 7 KQJ 6 2 maximum, West accepts. Pass 1 ace ♣ KQ ♣ A 4 Many players would treat East’s Cheapest bid 2 aces WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH 4NT as Blackwood, agreeing hearts Next cheapest bid 3 aces 1NT Pass 4NT Pass as trumps, although it is not actually Pass Pass the standard agreement. Nonetheless, WEST EAST With no suit agreement, East’s it would be best to have discussed this ♠ A K 8 6 5 3 ♠ Q J 7 2 4NT is quantitative—invitational— with partner beforehand. ♥ 4 ♥ J 8 3 not Blackwood. West can pass. WEST EAST ♦ K 4 ♦ A Q 8 2 WEST EAST ♠ 10 9 7 3 ♠ KQJ 5 ♣ A K J 6 ♣ 9 3 ♠ ♠ ♥ ♥ Q J 8 7 4 3 A K 9 2 K7 3 A J 8 3 WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH ♥ 4 ♥ K Q J 9 ♦ AQ 8 ♦ 2 ♠ ♠ ♥ ♦ ♦ ♣ ♣ 1 Pass 3 4 K Q 9 5 4 AQ 6 KJ7 4 ♥ ♣ K6 ♣ A Q J 4 4NT 5 Pass Pass WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH 6♠ Pass Pass Pass 1NT Pass 2♣ Pass WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH After West bids Blackwood, North ♠ 2♠ Pass 4♣ Pass 1 Pass 4NT Pass interferes with 5♥, taking away 5♣ Pass 5♠ All Pass 4♠ Pass 6♠ Pass East’s standard reply of 5♦. Instead, In this type of auction, the direct After East uncovers the spade fit East passes to show exactly one ace. jump to 4NT implies that spades is using Stayman, East has enough—15 West now knows to bid the slam. the agreed trump suit. With interest high-card points plus 3 dummy points in playing in another suit or notrump, —to consider slam. East’s jump to If East doubled, showing no aces, East would start differently. 4♣ is Gerber. West’s 4♠ shows two West would know the partnership aces and East bids the small slam. can’t make a slam. West would have WEST EAST the option of signing off in 5♠ or ♠ A 7 ♠ K Q J 9 5 2 WEST EAST ♥ QJ 8 ♥ 4 ♠ K J 10 4 ♠ AQ 5 passing and defending for penalty. ♦ K J 7 5 ♦ AQ 4 ♥ Q 6 ♥ K J 8 7 4 With two aces, East would make ♣ A Q J 4 ♣ K 6 2 ♦ AQ 3 ♦ KJ the cheapest bid over 5♥, 5♠. West ♣ ♣ WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH K 10 7 5 Q 6 2 could now decide whether to try for 1♦ Pass 1♠ Pass WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH a grand slam. 2NT Pass 4♣ Pass 1NT Pass 2♦ Pass The partnership can have additional 4♠ Pass 6♠ All Pass 2♥ Pass 4NT Pass agreements if the interference is at an East’s jump to 4♣ over the natural Pass Pass even higher level or if the opponent 2NT rebid by West is Gerber since With 16 high-card points and 1 doubles instead of bidding, but the no suit has been agreed on—at least point for the five-card heart suit, East important point is that it’s not quite to West’s knowledge. West’s reply has enough to invite opener to slam. enough to say, “I play Blackwood and shows two aces and East knows that First, however, East shows the five- Gerber.” We might want to discuss slam should have a play. card heart suit by making a 2♦ with partner how we handle voids, The situation after Stayman or a Jacoby transfer to hearts. After West interference, signing off, and so on. transfer bid in response to a 1NT bids 2♥, East makes the quantitative That will leaving us feeling much opening bid is more confusing, so raise. West can pass or accept by more comfortable using these here are some examples. bidding 6♥ or 6NT with a maximum. “familiar” conventions. BETTER 15 BRIDGE VOL. 10, NO. 6 JULY/AUGUST 2006