Great Grand Slam

Let’s face it. We have all faced days when the Queen is elusive. Both the finesses don’t work! 75% BAH! Your non vulnerable pre-empt goes for a telephone number when opponents don’t have a slam. Opponents reach unreachable games or slams! The worst thing: opponent passes a forcing bid and you gleefully pass only to realise they have no game and your teammates are in a game going down! Your nicely judged slam going down cause of a vicious trump break while opponents play in 3NT.

On other days, there nothing can go wrong. 25% slams make, a vulnerable sacrifice is profitable , opponent passes a cue bid (once a player bid a prepared diamond in 3rd seat and the bidding went and here, his lefty with 7 diamonds, bid 1H. further bidding went P - P - 1D - 1H - P - 2D - P - P!!! - P) and what have you!

When the Bridge Gods smile, nothing is impossible for the brave. Sure, we can conceive of a slam making on many finesses.  But a grand slam on a 3/3 trump fit?? Even Rajnikanth can’t make it, you say? Perhaps he couldn't, but Rahul Khambete certainly went Star Trekking (where no man had gone before). This has to be the baap of all grand slams, hence the title.

At the Malabar Hill Club Tournament, Rahul Khambete held the South cards in the hand below. And the bidding went as shown.

The bidding is perhaps best explained in Rahul's own words.

"My 2♥ was 4th suit. Since partner (Raju Khare) bid 3♥, I gave him a 0-4-5-4 hand with 12-16 range.

Now my problem is...

• I cant bid 3♠ (shows 6♠)
• Cant bid 4♣ (shows Clubs agreement because 2♥ was 4th suit)
• Cant bid 4♦ for the same reason.

So I chose to bid 4NT quantitative

On that P bids 5♦ showing 3 Key Cards. Now, since he is showing 3 Key Cards, I inferred that he has to have 4 hearts.

Therefore, when he jumped to 7♥, on my 5NT , I was certain that his distribution is 0-4-5-4 and now 16 HCPs (or bad 17)

Then I tried visualizing 13 tricks on 7 NT, but I failed to count 13 tricks given various permutation and combinations of his 16 point hand other than ♦A, ♣A and ♥K

So finally I decided may be 7♥ in a 4-3 fit is better if dummy's Hearts are solid and I can make the Diamond suit good by ruffing in my short trump hand."

This is where the gods stepped in! West opted to not lead a trump and instead led the ♦9. Rahul took the first 7 tricks with ♦A, ♦K, ♠A, ♠K, ♠Q, ♣K and ♣A leading to this 6 card ending below

Rahul now played the ♦Q on which East discarded ♣Q and South discarded ♣9. From then on opponents had no luck as declarer merrily cross ruffed the hand with his dazzling hearts.

Once this 6-card ending is reached, even if defence were to discard a spade on ♦Q, declarer can simply ruff a club with his small heart. Similarly, defence cannot break the contract by ruffing the ♦Q either, which will simply get over-ruffed.

For those of you thinking that a trump lead would kill the contract, think again! Declarer wins the lead in hand. He then cashes 3 spades and 2 clubs and starts rolling out his diamonds. Whenever East, who held 4 trumps, ruffs, declarer will over ruff. Now the heart finesse will bring the contract rolling home.

While this sort of bidding is certainly not recommended (this hand evokes memories of the Rueful Rabbit, Aunt Agatha or Sylvia), the hand needs to be thought out and played.

The moral of the story for me is to never throw in the towel. Who knows, the odds may be in your favour! Remember the adage, if you are in a hopeless situation and only one distribution can help you make the hand, play for it. Well played Rahul!

By the way, in case are feeling bad for the opponents – DON’T! They went on to win the tourney.

Disclaimer : All opinions are entirely those of the author and are no reflection of the views of the BridgeFromHome Team.