“Big hands go slow.” — Standard bridge advice.

What word courses through your brain when your partner opens the bidding with one of a suit, your right-hand opponent passes, and you hold 21 high-card points?

Of course: “Slam!”

Problems arise when you get there too quickly. Consider Board 10 at the Edgartown Bridge Club on June 25, with North dealing and both sides vulnerable: (hands rotated to make South a possible declarer):

NORTH
♠ K 10 3 2
♥ K Q J 6
♦ J 10 8 4
♣ A

WEST                     EAST
♠ 8 7 6 4                  ♠ Q J 5
♥ 10 4 3                  ♥ 9 5 2
♦ 6 3 2                     ♦ 7 5
♣ Q 4 2                   ♣ 10 8 7 6 5

SOUTH
♠ A 9
♥ A 8 7
♦ A K Q 9
♣ K J 9 3

The bidding proceeded as follows:

North          East          South          West
1♦               Pass          6 ♦ !            All Pass
Opening lead: ♦7

Slam made six for +1370. So what was the problem?

Well, other declarers bid and made 6NT for +1440. In duplicate, pairs get one matchpoint for every pair sitting in the same direction that they beat and half a point for each pair getting the same result. Of 11 pairs I’ve situated at North-South, four didn’t bid or failed to make slam, two bid 6 ♦ and five bid 6NT. So the 6 ♦ pairs got 4 1/2 matchpoints and the five 6NT pairs got 8.

Even if you’re not playing duplicate, you may reach the wrong contract if you raise too quickly. One way to reach 6NT is by using “inverted minors.” If partner opens 1 ♣ or 1 ♦ , RHO passes and you hold no four card majors and raise to two of the same suit, your bid is forcing. Let’s see how this plays out on Board 10:

North          East          South          West
1♦               Pass          2 ♦               Pass
2NT*          Pass         6NT             All Pass

* Shows stoppers in the major suits

Assuming that North holds fewer than the 15-17 HCP for opening 1NT, South confidently raises to 6NT. Holding 18+ HCP, North would raise partner’s 6NT to 7NT.

Going slowly, you’ll arrive at the right place.

P.S.: There’s a little-noted system that enables players to reach 6NT immediately. If partner opens the bidding with one of a minor and you have no four-major major, here are your NoTrump responses:

INT — 6-10 HCP.

2NT — 11 or a weak 12 HCP.

3NT — A good 12-15 HCP.

4NT — 16-18 HCP.

5NT — A “grand slam force” telling partner to bid a small slam with one of the top three diamonds and a grand slam with two of the top three.

6NT — 19-21 HCP.