ROLLING
BLACKWOOD
SLIDING
BLACKWOOD
Rolling Blackwood, or Sliding Blackwood, is a variation of the Blackwood Convention. It takes into account that two partners could reach an unsafe contract in the Minors using the normal Blackwood convention, which could take them past a safe contract.
The following illustration may help in understanding the principle behind Rolling Blackwood.
Dealer: North
|
South | |
1  |
3 |
|
| 4 No Trump | 5  : 1 Ace |
|
| Normally, 5 No Trump would be asking for Kings. |
||
| The Rolling Convention states that the next bid should be the cheapest non-trump bid used to ask for Kings.
5 |
Responses: | |
5  : 0 or all 4 Kings
5 NT: 1 King 6 6 |
would then be the correct bid.This variation of the Blackwood convention enjoyed some popularity at one time. The problem with the Minor Suit Slams is real and this method helped to solve it. However, this variation has lost some ground and is rarely used by bridge players. If you wish, however, to make it part of your written partnership agreement, please do.
If you wish to include this feature, or any other feature, of the game of bridge in your partnership agreement, then please make certain that the concept is understood by both partners. Be aware whether or not the feature is alertable or not and whether an announcement should or must be made. Check with the governing body and/or the bridge district and/or the bridge unit prior to the game to establish the guidelines applied. Please include the particular feature on your convention card in order that your opponents are also aware of this feature during the bidding process, since this information must be made known to them according to the Laws of Duplicate Contract Bridge. We do not always include the procedure regarding Alerts and/or Announcements, since these regulations are changed and revised during time by the governing body. It is our intention only to present the information as concisely and as accurately as possible.