Contract bridge grand slam exists. The modern game of contract bridge was the result of innovations to the scoring of auction bridge by Harold Stirling Vanderbilt and others. The most significant change was that only the tricks contracted for were scored below the line toward game or a slam bonus, a change that resulted in bidding becoming much more challenging and interesting. Also new was the concept of "vulnerability", making sacrifices to protect the lead in a rubber more expensive. The various scores were adjusted to produce a more balanced and interesting game. Vanderbilt set out his rules in 1925, and within
History of contract bridge clubs or spades); and there were slam bonuses. Despite the popularity of whist, this game, and variants of it, "bridge" and "bridge-whist", became popular in the United States and the UK in the 1890s. In 1904 auction bridge, known for a time as "royal auction bridge", was developed where the players bid in a competitive auction to decide the contract and declarer. The object became to make at least as many tricks as were contracted for and penalties were introduced for failing to do so. The modern game of contract bridge was the result of innovations to the scoring of