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There are many slam-oriented conventions, but one of the most valuable is the so-called Grand Slam Force. The GSF is not a new convention, but it has not been generally accepted as a working tool by the average bridge player. This is rather strange, since the GSF is easy to use and hard to abuse. Furthermore, there are many more points than usual at stake when the occasion for its use arises.
Let's see how the convention works on this deal after North's jump-raise to four diamonds. At this point, South should feel certain of a small slam and should seriously consider the possibility of a grand slam.
The potential grand slam in diamonds does not depend on how many points or aces North has; rather, it rests solely on the question of whether North has the A-K of trump. If North has them, a grand slam is virtually certain. If North does not have both of them, South should settle for a small slam.
Accordingly, South leaps to five notrump -- the Grand Slam Force -- asking his partner to bid seven of the agreed trump suit if he has two of the top three trump honors.
North duly bids seven diamonds, which is easily made. In bidding the grand slam, North does not consider his holdings in the other three suits; he simply obeys South's command to define his trump holding. With only the ace or king of trump, North would bid six diamonds.
The only danger associated with using the GSF is that one player or the other might misread it as part of the Blackwood Convention asking for kings. The Blackwood five-notrump bid asking for kings, however, is always preceded by a four-notrump bid asking for aces, so there should be no confusion in this regard.
Tomorrow: The point of no return.