DAILY BRIDGE CLUB

When your partner opens 1NT (or 2NT), a raise to 4NT is exactly that: a raise that invites slam, just as a raise of 1NT to 2NT would invite game. You need a different bid to ask about partner’s aces, and the Gerber Convention does the job: A response of four clubs is ace-asking.

Today’s South wants to play at slam unless two aces are missing. North’s 4NT response to Gerber promises three aces (careful; the responses aren’t the same as the responses to Blackwood), and South tries six hearts.

2001, Tribune Media Services

West leads the queen of spades, winning, and South ruffs the next spade. How should he continue?

High Trump

Clearly, South’s best chance is to set up dummy’s long diamond. He cashes the king of hearts and the K-A of diamonds, ruffs a diamond with a high trump, gets back to dummy with the ace of trumps and ruffs a diamond high.

South then draws trumps and returns with the ace of clubs to pitch his losing club on the good diamond: a triumph for Gerber and for sound dummy play.

North dealer

Both sides vulnerable

NORTH

K 8 2

(Heart) A 5

* A J 7 4 3

A 9 3

*--*

WEST EAST Q J 10 9 4 A 7 6 3 (Heart) 9 8 4 (Heart) 7 8 2 Q 10 9 5 Q 10 6 J 8 7 2

*--*

SOUTH

5

(Heart) K Q J 10 6 3 2

* K 6

K 5 4

*--*

 NORTH EAST SOUTH WEST  1 NT Pass 4 Pass 4 NT Pass 6 (Heart) All Pass

*--*

Opening lead-- Q