Whole books have been written on the topicof ace-asking conventions, so the discussion of Easley Blackwood’s concept in this column will be brief by comparison. The Blackwood convention, developed early in the history of duplicate bridge, quickly gained popular approval. As many bridge teachers will point out, however, Blackwood may be responsiblefor more bidding disasters thanany other convention developed.
Understanding its proper use, therefore, is important for successful duplicate play. The basic idea behind the Blackwood convention is to determine how many aces partner holds. In certain circumstances, this permits slams to be accurately
bid — or avoided. The player who wishes to know how many aces partner holds bids 4NT, usually as part of a constructive auction.
For example:
Opener Responder
1
3
4NT
Responder’s 3 is a limit (invitational to game) raise. Opener’s 4NT is the Blackwood convention, asking responder to indicate…Click Here to continue reading.