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English Experienced players know very well that in case of a big fit in the trump suit, it may be possible to win lots of tricks by ruffing, which means that a slam can be mid and made even when the combined number of high card points is much less than officially required. Please note the following handwhich appeared in a barometer tournament at "Avivim" club, Tel Aviv. Dealer East. Vul None AKJ53 5 AJ872 AJ T8 9742 Q74 KJT92 653 4 KT542 Q93 Q6 A863 KQT9 876 West North East South Pass Pass Pass 1♠ Pass 2 ♦ Pass 4 ♦ Pass 4 ♥ Pass 4NT Pass 5♠ Pass 5NT Pass 7 ♦ Pass Pass Pass Fourth in hand, North opened One Spade. South responded Two Diamonds (natural). Finding a nine-card fit strengthened North's hand significantly. Assuming his partner held five diamonds, he was already committed to a small slam. North's next bid was a simple Four Diamonds, natural and forcing. His next move was a keycard ask. South's response of Five Spades showed his partner ♥ A and ♦ KQ. Five No-Trump asked South to bid a grand slam with any extra values (not much was possible, as South was a Pass ed hand and he had already shown 9 HCP). Under these circumstances South considered his spade queen a very useful card (Do you remember North's 1♠ opening bid?!). Therefore South accepted the invitation and bid Seven Diamonds. Making the contract was not difficult: declarer drew trumps in three rounds, discarded his clubs on dummy's spades and eventually ruffed the ♣J. Looking at the scores across the field, it transpired that only two North-South pairs (out of seventeen) managed to bid the grand slam. AGrand Slam with 29 HCP // Joseph Engel 2019 נובמבר 195 גיליון 55