Right-click here for hands.
Board 3: South passes and West with 5161 shape must decide whether to open his longer suit (diamonds) or his major suit (spades.) If you open diamonds, you must expect vigorous competition in hearts, and so be willing to bid spades for the first time at the four level after North overcalls or jumps and South "bounces". If you open spades, you may never have the opportunity to bid diamonds.
I opted for 1S, North passed, and East bid a game-forcing 2C. 2D by West -- what should East bid now? So many players claiming to play 2/1 Game Force feel compelled to leap to some game. This defeats the whole purpose of the system, which is to maximize bidding room to explore for slam. A simple raise to 3D is 100% forcing and aims at the most likely slam, without giving up on 3NT. The raise does wonders for West's hand, he needs little more than two key cards for slam. After Blackwood or RKCB or 1430, West learns East has an Ace or two key cards and bids 6D, which should make on some sort of crossruff and establishing the clubs.
Not vulnerable against vulnerable, North may overcall 2H. Now East must bid 3C and and agressive South may raise to 3H (though his wasted values in spades argue for caution.) West is reluctant to bid 4D, bypasssing 3NT and reaching "the stratosphere" with no known fit. After West and North pass, East has an excellent defensive hand but realizes 3NT is apt to make and down 4 doubled may be difficult to manage, so he bids 3NT which likely ends the auction.
Board 12: West opens a hearty 1H and East surprises him with a game-forcing 2C. West reverses to 2S (does this still show extras in your style?) Many an East will rebid 3D, a completely pointless and misleading bid. West has sown 9 cards in 2 suits, a fit in diamonds is unlikely. Let's think -- East would, in order of priority, bid 3S (with 4 spades), 3H (with 3 hearts), 3C (with 6 clubs), or 2NT (with a stopper in diamonds.) 3D is artificial, denying any of the above. (If you bid 2NT and West has the rare 4540 hand, he can bid 3D himself.) A typical hand for 3D would be Qxx Ax xxx KQJxx.
As a fit in clubs is still plausible, requiring only 2 of partner's unknown 4 cards, East rebids 3C. West can now revalue his hand in light of the fit and aims at slam by raising to 4C. East cue-bids 4D, West employs 4NT and a good 6C contract is reached. As it happens, 7H (on a solid 5-2 fit) requires little more luck than 6C, but only one pair reached slam so any slam scores well.
No comments:
Post a Comment