Grand Canyon by Foxymoron

 A void in partner's suit makes it very hard to bid a grand slam, and, as a hand on Tuesday last showed, not that easy to bid a small slam.

Robots have no real problem with this hand, as they play what are called "Soloway Jump Shifts" after the US World Champion Paul Soloway who sadly died of a heart attack in 2007. Few know that his uncle was "Bugsy" Siegel, who saved his life in a swimming pool accident when Paul was three.

The BBO Robot plays Soloway Strong Jump Shifts by an unpassed hand in uncontested auctions. A jump shift shows one of the following types of hands:

1. Strong rebiddable suit, 17+ total points, 4+ controls (A=2, K=1), no side 4-card suit
2. Solid suit, 17+ total points, 4+ controls, may have a side 4-card suit
   
3. Rebiddable suit, 18+ HCP, 4+ controls, 5332 or 6322 shape.
4. Rebiddable suit, 17+ total points, 4+ controls, 4-card support for opener's suit.

And in case you forget, the Robot tells you what its bid means. And what your bids mean to it. But I digress.

South should open 1D, with a six-card suit and 11 points. Most responded 1H as North and South would probably rebid 2D. Now, at my table, my partner bid 3H which is non-forcing unfortunately and I put down the dummy. I sensed from the manner and tempo that it was probably intended as forcing, but both of those factors are what is known as "unauthorised information". So I decided to take my medicine, like  the swindler in Aesop's fable who produced fake medicine, and passed.

As North I think I would bid 6H on the second round. It is too difficult to find exactly where partner's values are to bid grand. The two that bid 6NT really were matchpoint maniacs, although they had 12 top tricks. How should the play go in 6H? Well, there are a few lines. Say East leads a passive trump. Now you can go hell for leather for 13, by cashing the three top spades throwing a club. You then cross to the king of clubs, throw a club on the ace of diamonds, cross to the ace of clubs and ruff a club. Return to North with a diamond ruff and claim.

The term "hell for leather" was first used in print in 1889 by Rudyard Kipling, specifically referring to riding a horse at breakneck speed. The leather in this case either refers to the leather in the saddle or the leather in the crop.

That line suffers badly if a top black winner gets ruffed, so the line  I prefer is to cross to the king of spades, play the ace of diamonds and ruff a diamond, cash the ace of spades, ruff the queen of spades, ruff a diamond and run the trumps squeezing West in the minors.

Finally a safe line is to draw trumps cash the king of spades, ace of diamonds and ruff a diamond, then cash the other top spades and trumps. Someone with the QJ of clubs and sole guard of diamonds will be squeezed. 

So three lines. One gung-ho and one belt and braces (or belt and suspenders for our US readers). Goldilocks would regard the third line as "just right", beating those in 6NT.