Right-click here for hands. 11 tables for a normal game -- Sunday afternoon is getting popular!
Board 6: South is too strong for a 15-17 notrump and so opens 1D or 1C according to style. North responds 1H and South's hand is at the upper end of a jump raise, 3H. (4H would be reasonable if partner is known to have sound responses, but most players these days strain to bid a major over partner's minor.) North's hand is Aceless, but only 7 losers and partner's jump suggests 6 cover cards. A good guide to visualization is to try and construct a "perfect minimum" for partner's bidding that would make slam a laydown; 4 Aces alone would justify South's jump, and would not insure 12 tricks. Axx AQxx Axxxx x ? That works opposite North's K10x KJ10x KQxx Jx, but it seems unlikely South would be so short in North's shortest suit. All-in-all, this looks like a good hand to settle for game. As the cards lie, multiple slams make double-dummy, but requires guessing and finessing in both red suits.
Board 18: East's 4-7 "swan" is an odd collection; a good 10 hcp could argue for a simple 1H opening, but East's points are aceless and "quacky" (Quack = Queen or Jack, generally overrated by the point count when not balanced by Aces and Kings). The practical choices are pass (because of the good spade support), 3H or 4H; the vulnerability makes 4H tempting but since East has both majors 3H may be the best call.
South's void in hearts argues for an aggressive double, but only 11 hcp and no Ace justifies passing. West can guess partner is short in clubs and raise to game, but I can't see bidding any higher without seeing partner's cards. I can't justify anyone bidding over 4H, but clearly a lot of competitive bidding took place.
East ruffs the opening club lead, ruffs a diamond, trump to hand, ruff another diamond, another trump to hand and then try the spade finesse for 13 tricks. Some hands are magic.
Board 19: A weak two by South is not my style with 5 hcp, a Jack high suit, side five card major and a void, but for some players "anything goes" when not vulnerable vs vulnerable. I've always felt a weak two is not effective when treated as a pure preempt, so I prefer a semi-constructive style with preemption as a side benefit.
If South passes, West may open a gambling 3NT, showing a solid 7 or 8 card minor with no more than a queen outside. But West has 9 potential tricks and 12 hcp, so a normal 1C opening is reasonable, however, West has no obvious way to describe his hand later, so I'd probably opt for the "heavy" 3NT. East likely passes rather than chase a slam that requires both an extra club and a side queen. A diamond lead would limit West to 11 tricks (removing his entry before he can unblock the hearts) but the usual defense against gambling 3NT calls for North to lay down an Ace to look at dummy (this is relatively safe since the Ace probably isn't covering anything in declarer's hand.) Here, however, that insures 12 tricks for West.
If South opens 2H, a good defense is "Leaping Michaels", where West could jump to 4C or 4D to show a two suited hand with the bid minor and the other major. That frees the 3H cue-bid for a hand like West's that want to be in 3NT if partner can stop hearts. Again, reaching slam looks unlikely.
If West simply overcalls 2H with 3C, East bids 3NT and now West (knowing partner must have a good hand) can plausibly bid slam; I'd opt for 6C since spades might be wide open.
Board 22: A good sequence for E/W would be 1NT-2D (transfer); 2H-3D (second suit, game forcing);
3H (showing support)-4NT (RKCB)-5C (0 or 3 key cards). West can be sure East does not have zero Aces, and with two sources of tricks 6NT may be safer than 6H. 12 tricks are easy after knocking out the Ace of hearts.
Baord 25: North opens 1H, planning a strength-shwoing reverse to 2S over partner's expected 1NT. But South has 16 hcp; the traditional response would be 3NT (flat 16 or 17) but many pairs bid 3NT with 13-15 and exactly 3244 shape. (Personally, I prefer 13-15 4333, a more awkward hand to bid than 3244 in my opinion.) If nothing else South can simply bid 2C, game-forcing in the popular 2/1 style. North proceeds with his planned 2S; does that still show extras? Most experts play a rebid of the major after a 2/1 bid may be any minimum hand without a good rebid, not promising 6; and so 2S (or 3C or 3D) would show extra strength. Discuss this with partner; simply agreeing "2/1 Game Force" leaves auctions like this undefined as expert styles differ. But in any case 2S might be a good 15 and so does not fully describe North's powerhouse.
South is encouraged by the 2S bid but simply follows with his plan of delayed support, 3H. North can picture something like Kx KQx xxx Axxxx for an easy 12 tricks barring very bad breaks, and should try for slam with a 4D cue-bid. This covers South's weak spot and with his undisclosed extra strength South can proceed with 4NT, North shows 3 key cards or Aces, and South bids 6H. 6NT is better but hard to bid since neither player was able to fully disclose his high card strength.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Thursday, 2/17/2011
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Board 5: North opens 2S, and South can count a likely 13 tricks: 6 spades, 5 diamonds and two clubs. However, North is unlikely to have AK of spades and K of hearts, so slam looks iffy. It's 50% East will have the Ace of hearts, which he will lead against a slam, and if he doesn't have the King himself partner will signal for the setting trick. And if West has the Ace, East will lead hearts randomly part of the time -- so slam is well below 50%, and the practical bid is 4S. Playing "feature" responses to a 2NT response, South can try 2NT and then 4NT if the weak two bidder shows a heart feature. As it happens, East has no reason to lead a heart and North claims 13 tricks.
Board 7: With two quick tricks and a Goren 13 count, West is too strong for 3S, and his suit quality is rather shabby for 4S, so I recommend a simple 1S opening, planning to rebid the suit. North doubles planning to show a "strong overcall" by bidding diamonds later. Most play that a new suit at the two level over a double is not forcing, but East is extremely weak and should pass. South might bid 1NT to show constructive values and a spade stop, but I think I'd bid a simple 2C for the moment. Despite the vulnerability and minimum values, West's hand is worth 2S. North shows his strength with 3D. South may contribute an Ace, a ruff and a club winner, but slam looks like a stretch and 3NT appears to be the practical bid.
West is leary of leading the normal low spade; he may try the King hoping South does not have AJx. South wins and lead a diamond toward the Queen; West ducks but South then cashes four clubs and leads a second diamond to set up the suit while he has a heart entry. West can do no more than hold it to five by taking his ace and spade winner. 6D isn't a lock looking at just the N/S cards so no need to worry about missing this slam.
Board 13: North opens 1D; East may bid 2S despite the vulnerability and ratty suit, counting on his extra shape to save him. South can reasonably bid 3H but that will make it almost impossible to reach 3NT, a likely spot; a negative double is more flexible. West can raise to 3S; three card support would be normal but Qx and the club suit are worth a bump. North loves his hand and bids 4H. West's raise actually helps South evaluate his hand, "seeing" North's singleton (or void) spade. North may not actually be able to trump all three spade losers (too many high honors, as here) but South can treat his hand as supporting North's red two-suiter and count the spade Ace, diamond AQ and one or two club ruffs as winners. Partner suggested a better than minimum hand bidding 4H so South is justified in venturing 4NT followed by 6H. (If not playing standard Blackwood rather than Roman Key Card, South should cue-bid 4S and trust partner will bid slam if he has good trumps.) North has an easy time pulling trumps and ruffing two clubs.
Board 5: North opens 2S, and South can count a likely 13 tricks: 6 spades, 5 diamonds and two clubs. However, North is unlikely to have AK of spades and K of hearts, so slam looks iffy. It's 50% East will have the Ace of hearts, which he will lead against a slam, and if he doesn't have the King himself partner will signal for the setting trick. And if West has the Ace, East will lead hearts randomly part of the time -- so slam is well below 50%, and the practical bid is 4S. Playing "feature" responses to a 2NT response, South can try 2NT and then 4NT if the weak two bidder shows a heart feature. As it happens, East has no reason to lead a heart and North claims 13 tricks.
Board 7: With two quick tricks and a Goren 13 count, West is too strong for 3S, and his suit quality is rather shabby for 4S, so I recommend a simple 1S opening, planning to rebid the suit. North doubles planning to show a "strong overcall" by bidding diamonds later. Most play that a new suit at the two level over a double is not forcing, but East is extremely weak and should pass. South might bid 1NT to show constructive values and a spade stop, but I think I'd bid a simple 2C for the moment. Despite the vulnerability and minimum values, West's hand is worth 2S. North shows his strength with 3D. South may contribute an Ace, a ruff and a club winner, but slam looks like a stretch and 3NT appears to be the practical bid.
West is leary of leading the normal low spade; he may try the King hoping South does not have AJx. South wins and lead a diamond toward the Queen; West ducks but South then cashes four clubs and leads a second diamond to set up the suit while he has a heart entry. West can do no more than hold it to five by taking his ace and spade winner. 6D isn't a lock looking at just the N/S cards so no need to worry about missing this slam.
Board 13: North opens 1D; East may bid 2S despite the vulnerability and ratty suit, counting on his extra shape to save him. South can reasonably bid 3H but that will make it almost impossible to reach 3NT, a likely spot; a negative double is more flexible. West can raise to 3S; three card support would be normal but Qx and the club suit are worth a bump. North loves his hand and bids 4H. West's raise actually helps South evaluate his hand, "seeing" North's singleton (or void) spade. North may not actually be able to trump all three spade losers (too many high honors, as here) but South can treat his hand as supporting North's red two-suiter and count the spade Ace, diamond AQ and one or two club ruffs as winners. Partner suggested a better than minimum hand bidding 4H so South is justified in venturing 4NT followed by 6H. (If not playing standard Blackwood rather than Roman Key Card, South should cue-bid 4S and trust partner will bid slam if he has good trumps.) North has an easy time pulling trumps and ruffing two clubs.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Wednesday, 2/16/2011
Right-click here for hands. Slam galore, including three cold, biddable grands!
Board 3: South opens 1D (I hope no one passed or opened 2D, this is clear-cut opening bid.) North responds 1S, silencing East. South rebids 2D; North should probably continue with 2H, forcing, which lands in an unfortunate 4H. I suspect many Norths simply jumped to 3NT, a winner as the cards lie.
Board 5: North opens 1S. Whether or not the partnership plays strong jump shifts, South's best response is 2H, which already takes up a lot of bidding room. North should be able to bid 2S, waiting, without fear of responder passing. I like to play that a 2NT rebid by opener shows a minimum balanced hand, and so 2S is a hand too strong or too unbalanced to want to stop at 2NT; this allows responder's 2NT rebid to be forcing even if 2H was not itself a game force. At any rate, 2/1 GF bidders can rebid 2NT to allow North to further describe his hand. North rebid 3C, which either suggests the 6-4 shape or shows a hand too weak for 3C on the previous round. Decison time for South, who has 18 hcp and a good source of tricks with hearts, but no fit and opener sounds minimum. Time to visualize: can South constrcut a 12 hcp hand for partner that would make slam a laydown? Try KJxxx Qx xx KQJx: 12 tricks but a diamond lead sets up the setting trick for the defense. Looks like 3NT is the practical bid, but the slammers luck out with a 3-3 spade break.
Board 9: I'm sure many North's passed but this Goren 14 count with two quick tricks should be opened; I'd opt for 1C planning to rebid the suit unless partner bids diamonds (which I would raise to 5!) South responds 1S or opens light in third seat if North passed originally. West has an enormous hand, with at most 4 possible losers and lots of chances for fewer: Q of hearts with partner or dropping, spade shortage or honors with partner, or a high club possibly allowing a spade pitch. I don't have a scientific sequence to suggest; I'd probably guess to bid 4H. North has little or no defense against hearts, lots of playing strength, and can hope South covers one or two of his spade losers; 5C looks right. East, with Qxxx in partner's suit and no defense, bids 5H. If North opened South should probably double; if South opened he has an easy pass. West redoubles 5H or raises to 6H, making easily with two spade ruffs. A wild hand.
Board 10: South opens 1C and this time North has 18 hcp. A strong jump to 2S would is fine -- two level jumps still leave plenty of bidding space, though most American experts claim the jump-shifter should not have a second suit. Assuming a 1S response, South's can add three points for the singleton along with 4 trumps and is worth a raise to game; he can show the singleton "on-the-way" with a splinter jump to 4D. North bids 4NT for Aces or Key cards, follows up with 5NT and eventually bids 7S. I don't think either player has enough information to risk 7NT; 7S was worth 75% of the matchpoints.
Board 16: West opens 1D and there's no rational way to keep out of the hopeless slam. Bill an dI lucked owing to our practice of opening flat 11 hcp hands as part of Precision, and some confusion later about how much stength I had shown. Some declarers made 6NT when South, I assume, guessed to keep sapdes rather than hearts.
Board 21: East is too good for a 15-17 NT but may be worried that 1D followed 2C would be passed, so 1NT may be the best practical opening. West is not quite good enough to invite slam, so I would expect a transfer (Jacoby or four-level Texas) followed by 4H. If East opens 1D I would expect:
1D-1H; 2C-2S (fourth suit artificial, preferably forcing to game); 2NT-3H; 4H-pass, same result. E/W might reach slam on something like 1D-1H; 2NT-3H (forcing, it's best to play that after opener's jump to 2NT we do not play any part-score other than 2NT); 4H-4NT etc. landing in 6H, but I think 2NT is a stretch with East's hand.
Board 22: South opens 1D. North can respond 2C, planning to rebid hearts twice, but if South rebids 2NT that commits the hand to 4H or 5C when 3NT might be best. Assuming 1H by North, South bids 2C, treating the hand as more like 5-5 than 6-4 (you can't always fully describe 6-5 hands so you have to pick which suit to emphasize.) After North picks his jaw up off the floor he can bid 4NT followed by 6C; if he's sure of partner, a better approach would be to raise 2C to 4C. This should be forcing and slam invitational, there's no rational for having two non-forcing raises of opener's 2nd suit. Then, when South cue-bids 4S rather than 4D, North bids 4NT and can confidently bid 7C after South shows two Aces.
Board 27: West has a Goren 13 count and two quick tricks, but I expect most would open 3C and that seems normal. East bids 3S and prays partner knows a new suit over a preempt is forcing. West could hardly have a better hand and so jumps to 5C; this won't be a solid suit if you play gambling 3NT. East assumes partner isn't bidding that way missing the Ace or King along with the Queen and so can count 13 running tricks, 7NT.
Board 3: South opens 1D (I hope no one passed or opened 2D, this is clear-cut opening bid.) North responds 1S, silencing East. South rebids 2D; North should probably continue with 2H, forcing, which lands in an unfortunate 4H. I suspect many Norths simply jumped to 3NT, a winner as the cards lie.
Board 5: North opens 1S. Whether or not the partnership plays strong jump shifts, South's best response is 2H, which already takes up a lot of bidding room. North should be able to bid 2S, waiting, without fear of responder passing. I like to play that a 2NT rebid by opener shows a minimum balanced hand, and so 2S is a hand too strong or too unbalanced to want to stop at 2NT; this allows responder's 2NT rebid to be forcing even if 2H was not itself a game force. At any rate, 2/1 GF bidders can rebid 2NT to allow North to further describe his hand. North rebid 3C, which either suggests the 6-4 shape or shows a hand too weak for 3C on the previous round. Decison time for South, who has 18 hcp and a good source of tricks with hearts, but no fit and opener sounds minimum. Time to visualize: can South constrcut a 12 hcp hand for partner that would make slam a laydown? Try KJxxx Qx xx KQJx: 12 tricks but a diamond lead sets up the setting trick for the defense. Looks like 3NT is the practical bid, but the slammers luck out with a 3-3 spade break.
Board 9: I'm sure many North's passed but this Goren 14 count with two quick tricks should be opened; I'd opt for 1C planning to rebid the suit unless partner bids diamonds (which I would raise to 5!) South responds 1S or opens light in third seat if North passed originally. West has an enormous hand, with at most 4 possible losers and lots of chances for fewer: Q of hearts with partner or dropping, spade shortage or honors with partner, or a high club possibly allowing a spade pitch. I don't have a scientific sequence to suggest; I'd probably guess to bid 4H. North has little or no defense against hearts, lots of playing strength, and can hope South covers one or two of his spade losers; 5C looks right. East, with Qxxx in partner's suit and no defense, bids 5H. If North opened South should probably double; if South opened he has an easy pass. West redoubles 5H or raises to 6H, making easily with two spade ruffs. A wild hand.
Board 10: South opens 1C and this time North has 18 hcp. A strong jump to 2S would is fine -- two level jumps still leave plenty of bidding space, though most American experts claim the jump-shifter should not have a second suit. Assuming a 1S response, South's can add three points for the singleton along with 4 trumps and is worth a raise to game; he can show the singleton "on-the-way" with a splinter jump to 4D. North bids 4NT for Aces or Key cards, follows up with 5NT and eventually bids 7S. I don't think either player has enough information to risk 7NT; 7S was worth 75% of the matchpoints.
Board 16: West opens 1D and there's no rational way to keep out of the hopeless slam. Bill an dI lucked owing to our practice of opening flat 11 hcp hands as part of Precision, and some confusion later about how much stength I had shown. Some declarers made 6NT when South, I assume, guessed to keep sapdes rather than hearts.
Board 21: East is too good for a 15-17 NT but may be worried that 1D followed 2C would be passed, so 1NT may be the best practical opening. West is not quite good enough to invite slam, so I would expect a transfer (Jacoby or four-level Texas) followed by 4H. If East opens 1D I would expect:
1D-1H; 2C-2S (fourth suit artificial, preferably forcing to game); 2NT-3H; 4H-pass, same result. E/W might reach slam on something like 1D-1H; 2NT-3H (forcing, it's best to play that after opener's jump to 2NT we do not play any part-score other than 2NT); 4H-4NT etc. landing in 6H, but I think 2NT is a stretch with East's hand.
Board 22: South opens 1D. North can respond 2C, planning to rebid hearts twice, but if South rebids 2NT that commits the hand to 4H or 5C when 3NT might be best. Assuming 1H by North, South bids 2C, treating the hand as more like 5-5 than 6-4 (you can't always fully describe 6-5 hands so you have to pick which suit to emphasize.) After North picks his jaw up off the floor he can bid 4NT followed by 6C; if he's sure of partner, a better approach would be to raise 2C to 4C. This should be forcing and slam invitational, there's no rational for having two non-forcing raises of opener's 2nd suit. Then, when South cue-bids 4S rather than 4D, North bids 4NT and can confidently bid 7C after South shows two Aces.
Board 27: West has a Goren 13 count and two quick tricks, but I expect most would open 3C and that seems normal. East bids 3S and prays partner knows a new suit over a preempt is forcing. West could hardly have a better hand and so jumps to 5C; this won't be a solid suit if you play gambling 3NT. East assumes partner isn't bidding that way missing the Ace or King along with the Queen and so can count 13 running tricks, 7NT.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Sunday 2/13/2011
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Board 3: North's excellent hand slumps badly when partner opens 3D. What to bid? Pass! Partner's weak hand will provide nothing for North, while North will clearly provide some help for South. East collects three trumps and the Ace of clubs. Three spades might be a better spot than 3D, but 3S is forcing and there is no reason for North to expect a preemptive hand to cover three of his six losers for game.
Board 12: When North opens 1D, South can visualize slam opposite as little as Axx xx AKxx xxxx -- not even a clear-cut opening bid. I suggest a strong jump shift 2H response followed by 3D. Those who claim strong jumps "never come up" are too picky about using the bids. A sensible auction would be 1D-2H-3C-3D-4NT-5D (or whatever shows one key card) - 6D.
If you play weak jump shifts, the bidding starts 1D-1H-2C. Most modern players would treat a jump to 3D as game-invitational, not forcing; South can jump to 4D as a clear slam try or employ the Fourth Suit Forcing gadget (2S in this case) followed by 3D. Whether you play the fourth suit as forcing to game or forcing one round, the rule is that the fourth suit followed by a bid that would not have been forcing a round earlier (3D here) now becomes game forcing. Basically, though, I don't think a mere game force conveys the power of South's hand. Should South prefer 6H to 6D? Not on your life -- West can lead a diamond for East to ruff, whether or not East makes a "Lightner Double" of 6H. Play slams in the best trump suit, don't worry about major vs. minor.
Board 16: North has a strong but awkward hand; many would open 2NT, treating the a singleton Ace or King as balanced, but I don't thin drastic measures are necessary with 21 hcp. South can dredge up a 1H and response; North plans a strong jump to 2S but West may stick in a 2C overcall. (If South passes, West likely bids 2C anyway.) Over 2C, North's 2S isn't a jump but must be quite strong as it forces South to bid at the three level if he doesn't like spades; South should treat 2S as at least a one-round force (17+.) South raises to 3S. North counts four losers (1 spade, 1 heart, 2 diamonds) but is uncertain whether South can provide three cover cards; 4C suggests slam and a club control. South is not encouraged by his singleton in North first suit and the bidding likely ends at 4S. Good bidders will have two or three such "slam interest" auctions for every slam they actually bid. Here, both majors break favorably and the Ace of diamonds is onside for an easy 12 tricks, but it's OK to miss this one.
Board 23: The bidding ought to go 1NT all pass; repeated spade leads remove dummy's entry before the diamonds can be established. This is why I don't think much of responder counting a point for a five card suit; a below average hand will generally lack the entries to establish and cash the long suit. By the way, when South leads the Queen of diamonds, West should duck, allowing partner to lead his second spade and preserving the Ace as another entry. What if South has the King? No reason to assume he needs only one diamond trick, so he'll have to lead diamonds again anyway.
Board 24: I miscounted my spades, opening a weak two thinking I had six, and later commiting the cardinal sin of rebidding my own preempt. With seven the hand can reasonably be opened 1S, 3S or 4S; having no ace and limited defense despite 11 hcp, I'd lean toward 4S with that excellent suit (playable for one loser opposite a void.) That would probably end the auction as neither opponent has a clear bid. Over 3S, West may well back in with 4H and East might think of slam, but should recall West's initial pass. A belated 4S by either North or South deserves to be doubled and set three tricks if the defense removes dummy's trumps. 6H is a lucky make; with only 10 trumps the King will not usually be singleton.
Board 25: South opens 2C and rebids 2NT, showing a balanced 22-24 or 22+ depending on what North's response promised. North adds 22+11=33 and bids straight to 6NT. 12 tricks are easy, conceding one diamond; South can pick up the suit as the cards lay but finessing twice is a low-odds play that will lose to a singleton Queen or Jack in West's hand too often to be worthwhile.
Board 3: North's excellent hand slumps badly when partner opens 3D. What to bid? Pass! Partner's weak hand will provide nothing for North, while North will clearly provide some help for South. East collects three trumps and the Ace of clubs. Three spades might be a better spot than 3D, but 3S is forcing and there is no reason for North to expect a preemptive hand to cover three of his six losers for game.
Board 12: When North opens 1D, South can visualize slam opposite as little as Axx xx AKxx xxxx -- not even a clear-cut opening bid. I suggest a strong jump shift 2H response followed by 3D. Those who claim strong jumps "never come up" are too picky about using the bids. A sensible auction would be 1D-2H-3C-3D-4NT-5D (or whatever shows one key card) - 6D.
If you play weak jump shifts, the bidding starts 1D-1H-2C. Most modern players would treat a jump to 3D as game-invitational, not forcing; South can jump to 4D as a clear slam try or employ the Fourth Suit Forcing gadget (2S in this case) followed by 3D. Whether you play the fourth suit as forcing to game or forcing one round, the rule is that the fourth suit followed by a bid that would not have been forcing a round earlier (3D here) now becomes game forcing. Basically, though, I don't think a mere game force conveys the power of South's hand. Should South prefer 6H to 6D? Not on your life -- West can lead a diamond for East to ruff, whether or not East makes a "Lightner Double" of 6H. Play slams in the best trump suit, don't worry about major vs. minor.
Board 16: North has a strong but awkward hand; many would open 2NT, treating the a singleton Ace or King as balanced, but I don't thin drastic measures are necessary with 21 hcp. South can dredge up a 1H and response; North plans a strong jump to 2S but West may stick in a 2C overcall. (If South passes, West likely bids 2C anyway.) Over 2C, North's 2S isn't a jump but must be quite strong as it forces South to bid at the three level if he doesn't like spades; South should treat 2S as at least a one-round force (17+.) South raises to 3S. North counts four losers (1 spade, 1 heart, 2 diamonds) but is uncertain whether South can provide three cover cards; 4C suggests slam and a club control. South is not encouraged by his singleton in North first suit and the bidding likely ends at 4S. Good bidders will have two or three such "slam interest" auctions for every slam they actually bid. Here, both majors break favorably and the Ace of diamonds is onside for an easy 12 tricks, but it's OK to miss this one.
Board 23: The bidding ought to go 1NT all pass; repeated spade leads remove dummy's entry before the diamonds can be established. This is why I don't think much of responder counting a point for a five card suit; a below average hand will generally lack the entries to establish and cash the long suit. By the way, when South leads the Queen of diamonds, West should duck, allowing partner to lead his second spade and preserving the Ace as another entry. What if South has the King? No reason to assume he needs only one diamond trick, so he'll have to lead diamonds again anyway.
Board 24: I miscounted my spades, opening a weak two thinking I had six, and later commiting the cardinal sin of rebidding my own preempt. With seven the hand can reasonably be opened 1S, 3S or 4S; having no ace and limited defense despite 11 hcp, I'd lean toward 4S with that excellent suit (playable for one loser opposite a void.) That would probably end the auction as neither opponent has a clear bid. Over 3S, West may well back in with 4H and East might think of slam, but should recall West's initial pass. A belated 4S by either North or South deserves to be doubled and set three tricks if the defense removes dummy's trumps. 6H is a lucky make; with only 10 trumps the King will not usually be singleton.
Board 25: South opens 2C and rebids 2NT, showing a balanced 22-24 or 22+ depending on what North's response promised. North adds 22+11=33 and bids straight to 6NT. 12 tricks are easy, conceding one diamond; South can pick up the suit as the cards lay but finessing twice is a low-odds play that will lose to a singleton Queen or Jack in West's hand too often to be worthwhile.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Wednesday , 2/9/2011
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Board 5: E/W can make 6H but that requires inordinate luck and guesswork, setting up the clubs and guessing the diamonds in order to pitch three spades away. +450 should be normal, declarer pulling trumps, then King and Ace of clubs and a club ruff sets up two pitches.
Board 17: North opens 1C in most styles and East likely preempts with 3D. South has plenty enough for a forcing 3S response and North raises to 4S (possibly over 4D by West but I see little point to that bid with such a weak hand and fairly shapeless hand, nor is West worth 5D.) East should bid as much as he dares the first round and then pass, hoping the damage is done. Decisioon time for South: 18 or so according to the classic Goren count, but the stiff Ace may be over-rated: an Ace counts more than one trick, 2.5 to 3 points, due to control and promotion factors that a stiff Ace lacks; almost always, the Ace would be more useful in another suit. The preempt also should make South wary of bad breaks. Still, 5 losers and North could have a fairly good hand with no better bid than 4S, so I think I'd bid again as South. Simple would be 4NT, assuming North has a club control or West will lead diamonds. North shows two Aces or Key cards and I think South should simly bid 6H rather than ask for Kings, it is hard to picture a hand for North that makes 7H reasonable but was only worth 4S as a rebid.
West sees little future in diamonds leads and instead starts with the King of hearts. East gains nothing in hearrts by ruffing (West will get his Queen later anyway) but could West have a diamond void? Today it matters not, South has 5 spades, 2 hearts, 2 diamond and 3 clubs. On a diamond lead South must strip West's exit cards and then lead a heart toward the Jack, endplaying West. Only 1 pair bid the slam, overbidding to the hopeless grand.
Board 20: South opens a 2NT (20-21) after three passes, North responds with Stayman (3C), and South replies 3H. North suspects a slam in one of the minors but really does not have enough to push to 6NT. Few pairs have the tools to uncover a minor suit fit after this start; if an immediate 3S is played as asking for a 4 card minor, North should perhaps bury the spades and respond with that instead of Stayman. Most pairs landed in the reasonable 3NT and should not allow the lucky heart and spade positions to upset them; 7NT actually makes on a squeeze but just looking at the N/S cards I would not want to be in any slam. A normal club lead from West and a spade finesse yields an above average +720.
Board 22: East opens 1D; South may preempt 3H at this vulnerability despite the poor suit and stiff King of diamonds. West hates to give up on 3NT (East could be 4432 or such); he'd like a fourth spade but a negative double looks best. That ought to discourage a 3S bid by North; East, expecting three top hearts and a club ruff, leaves the double in for penalties. South should not lose nerve, and -500 was a top for N/S.
At our table North bid 3S over the double; East should probably double or even bid 3NT but instead chose to rebid 4D. As West I simply blasted to 6D which ended the auction. With 11 trumps (and an auction suggesting South might be short) declarer banged down the Ace of diamonds for +1390.
If South does not preempt, west has an excellent 3H "splinter" response to 1D, showing a singleton or void in hearts, less than 4 spades, and nine cards in the minors. This lets opener judge when to bid 3NT and when to continue to 5 or 6 of a minor. East may well try 3NT with most of his strength opposite the singleton, but if the clubs make him nervous about 3NT or optimisitic about slam, 4D should inspire West to bid the slam with his wealth of controls.
Board 5: E/W can make 6H but that requires inordinate luck and guesswork, setting up the clubs and guessing the diamonds in order to pitch three spades away. +450 should be normal, declarer pulling trumps, then King and Ace of clubs and a club ruff sets up two pitches.
Board 17: North opens 1C in most styles and East likely preempts with 3D. South has plenty enough for a forcing 3S response and North raises to 4S (possibly over 4D by West but I see little point to that bid with such a weak hand and fairly shapeless hand, nor is West worth 5D.) East should bid as much as he dares the first round and then pass, hoping the damage is done. Decisioon time for South: 18 or so according to the classic Goren count, but the stiff Ace may be over-rated: an Ace counts more than one trick, 2.5 to 3 points, due to control and promotion factors that a stiff Ace lacks; almost always, the Ace would be more useful in another suit. The preempt also should make South wary of bad breaks. Still, 5 losers and North could have a fairly good hand with no better bid than 4S, so I think I'd bid again as South. Simple would be 4NT, assuming North has a club control or West will lead diamonds. North shows two Aces or Key cards and I think South should simly bid 6H rather than ask for Kings, it is hard to picture a hand for North that makes 7H reasonable but was only worth 4S as a rebid.
West sees little future in diamonds leads and instead starts with the King of hearts. East gains nothing in hearrts by ruffing (West will get his Queen later anyway) but could West have a diamond void? Today it matters not, South has 5 spades, 2 hearts, 2 diamond and 3 clubs. On a diamond lead South must strip West's exit cards and then lead a heart toward the Jack, endplaying West. Only 1 pair bid the slam, overbidding to the hopeless grand.
Board 20: South opens a 2NT (20-21) after three passes, North responds with Stayman (3C), and South replies 3H. North suspects a slam in one of the minors but really does not have enough to push to 6NT. Few pairs have the tools to uncover a minor suit fit after this start; if an immediate 3S is played as asking for a 4 card minor, North should perhaps bury the spades and respond with that instead of Stayman. Most pairs landed in the reasonable 3NT and should not allow the lucky heart and spade positions to upset them; 7NT actually makes on a squeeze but just looking at the N/S cards I would not want to be in any slam. A normal club lead from West and a spade finesse yields an above average +720.
Board 22: East opens 1D; South may preempt 3H at this vulnerability despite the poor suit and stiff King of diamonds. West hates to give up on 3NT (East could be 4432 or such); he'd like a fourth spade but a negative double looks best. That ought to discourage a 3S bid by North; East, expecting three top hearts and a club ruff, leaves the double in for penalties. South should not lose nerve, and -500 was a top for N/S.
At our table North bid 3S over the double; East should probably double or even bid 3NT but instead chose to rebid 4D. As West I simply blasted to 6D which ended the auction. With 11 trumps (and an auction suggesting South might be short) declarer banged down the Ace of diamonds for +1390.
If South does not preempt, west has an excellent 3H "splinter" response to 1D, showing a singleton or void in hearts, less than 4 spades, and nine cards in the minors. This lets opener judge when to bid 3NT and when to continue to 5 or 6 of a minor. East may well try 3NT with most of his strength opposite the singleton, but if the clubs make him nervous about 3NT or optimisitic about slam, 4D should inspire West to bid the slam with his wealth of controls.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Sunday 2/6/2011
Right-click here for hands. I didn't make it to today's game but it looks like a nice 7 tables did.
Board 6: Is South's hand a 2C opener? Only 16 high cards points, but a self-sufficient suit, 9.5 tricks, 4 quick tricks and only 3 losers, first-round control of 3 suits and Kx in the fourth. You are unlikley to be passed out opening 1S, but it will be difficult to find a bid later that accurately portrays this powerhouse. I recommend opening 2C with the intention of rebidding 4S, a sequence that shows great playing strength and good controls but much less than the usual quota of high cards for a 2C opening. 2C should focus partner's attention on slam, and this hand has tremendous potential.
North replies with a positive response, 2H playing 2D negative or waiting, 2NT (10-12) playing steps, or 2NT showing a heart positive if 2H would indicate a bust. Heart values don't help South, who can simply follow through with the planned jump to 4S over a natural 2H. North interprets this as showing 10 tricks and can drive to slam with the King of trumps and side Ace; a reasonable sequence would be 2C-2H-4S-4NT-5H (two aces) or 5S - 6S.
If North's systemic response is 2NT, 4S could have two interpretations: "Spades is trumps, start cue-bidding" or "10 tricks." If you've discussed opening 2C with this sort of hand I think "game-in-hand, short on high cards" should be the interpretation of any jump to game. North proceeds as above.
At the club, everyone stopped at 4S; I can't suggest a good rebid for South after a 1S opening.
Board 12: If N/S could be counted on to keep quiet, the best way to describe West's hand is to open 1C and rebid spades twice; this generally saves bidding room since West's third bid is usually 2S. But N/S are apt to have a big fit in a red suit and I recommend 1S for West, getting the major suit in before any preemption. East's hand would be poorly described by simply raising to game; a comon agreement for splinter is about 11-14 hcp and with the extra trump and good cotnrols East's hand qualifies for 4C (0 or 1 club, 4 card trump support, game values.) West can expect three spade winners in his own hand, two aces, two club ruffs (he doesn't know East ahh\s 5 card support), and the fifth club should set up; plus either Queen might prove useful. That's more than 8 tricks and East's 11-14 should provide 4 more. West can bid 4NT but if the partnership employs control cue-bids it makes sense to check whether hearts are controlled. A possible bidding sequence (playing RKCB or "1430") would be 1S-4C-4D-4H-4NT-5S-6S. Note the value of cue-bidding the King of hearts, rather than requiring the Ace; and why does East bid 5S, showing 2 key cards plus the Queen? With a known 10 card fit including the Ace and King, the suit is a heavy favorite for zero losers. Good players use 5S to show two key cards plus eithe the queen or a known 10 card fit.
North likely cashes the ace of hearts, then switches to a trump. No matter, West cashes a heart and both side Aces, then cross-ruffs the hand out. If North instead leads a trump at trick one, West can play to establish dummy's diamonds, with the possibility of ruffing out the King of clubs as an extra chance. At the table I'm afraid I would play to establish the fifth club and only find the winning play in the post-mortem.
Board 6: Is South's hand a 2C opener? Only 16 high cards points, but a self-sufficient suit, 9.5 tricks, 4 quick tricks and only 3 losers, first-round control of 3 suits and Kx in the fourth. You are unlikley to be passed out opening 1S, but it will be difficult to find a bid later that accurately portrays this powerhouse. I recommend opening 2C with the intention of rebidding 4S, a sequence that shows great playing strength and good controls but much less than the usual quota of high cards for a 2C opening. 2C should focus partner's attention on slam, and this hand has tremendous potential.
North replies with a positive response, 2H playing 2D negative or waiting, 2NT (10-12) playing steps, or 2NT showing a heart positive if 2H would indicate a bust. Heart values don't help South, who can simply follow through with the planned jump to 4S over a natural 2H. North interprets this as showing 10 tricks and can drive to slam with the King of trumps and side Ace; a reasonable sequence would be 2C-2H-4S-4NT-5H (two aces) or 5S - 6S.
If North's systemic response is 2NT, 4S could have two interpretations: "Spades is trumps, start cue-bidding" or "10 tricks." If you've discussed opening 2C with this sort of hand I think "game-in-hand, short on high cards" should be the interpretation of any jump to game. North proceeds as above.
At the club, everyone stopped at 4S; I can't suggest a good rebid for South after a 1S opening.
Board 12: If N/S could be counted on to keep quiet, the best way to describe West's hand is to open 1C and rebid spades twice; this generally saves bidding room since West's third bid is usually 2S. But N/S are apt to have a big fit in a red suit and I recommend 1S for West, getting the major suit in before any preemption. East's hand would be poorly described by simply raising to game; a comon agreement for splinter is about 11-14 hcp and with the extra trump and good cotnrols East's hand qualifies for 4C (0 or 1 club, 4 card trump support, game values.) West can expect three spade winners in his own hand, two aces, two club ruffs (he doesn't know East ahh\s 5 card support), and the fifth club should set up; plus either Queen might prove useful. That's more than 8 tricks and East's 11-14 should provide 4 more. West can bid 4NT but if the partnership employs control cue-bids it makes sense to check whether hearts are controlled. A possible bidding sequence (playing RKCB or "1430") would be 1S-4C-4D-4H-4NT-5S-6S. Note the value of cue-bidding the King of hearts, rather than requiring the Ace; and why does East bid 5S, showing 2 key cards plus the Queen? With a known 10 card fit including the Ace and King, the suit is a heavy favorite for zero losers. Good players use 5S to show two key cards plus eithe the queen or a known 10 card fit.
North likely cashes the ace of hearts, then switches to a trump. No matter, West cashes a heart and both side Aces, then cross-ruffs the hand out. If North instead leads a trump at trick one, West can play to establish dummy's diamonds, with the possibility of ruffing out the King of clubs as an extra chance. At the table I'm afraid I would play to establish the fifth club and only find the winning play in the post-mortem.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Wednesday 2/2/2011
Right-click here for hands. Settling in to my new job in tech support, I have Wednesdays and Sundays off so I can play some bridge :).
Board 1: A routine 1NT-3NT auction and a low spade or diamond lead yields +490 for E/W as long as declarer untangles the spades and leads a heart toward East before squeezing himslef with the clubs. If North ducks a heart, a squeeze or poor discard by South may allow 13 tricks. Slam requires too much luck to merit consideration.
Board 2: East opens 1S, West responds 2H. It is important to realize that this promises 5+ hearts when playing 1NT forcing, or just possibly 3433 shape. Opener should raise hearts, but with 4 obvious cover cards (KQ of hearts, AK of diamonds) plus ruffing values and Queen-fifth in spades opener can make a mild slam try by bidding out his shape: 1S-2H-3D-3NT (or3H)-4H. Responder pictures the short clubs and, expecting to ruff one low club and pitch another on a diamond or spade winner, has only 4 remaining losers and so is worth slam if opener has sufficient controls. 4NT (RKCB or 1430) fetches a 5S reply (two key cards plus the Queen) and the excellent 6H slam is reached. Kudos to Jackie and Charles for bidding this way for a top.
Board 15: South opens 1S, North bids 2C (not a good hand for a strong jump shift despite the good clubs), South bids 2H. Playing 2/1 game force allows North to rebid a forcing 2NT here; South continues with 3S and North signs off at 3NT. 30 hcp but no fit, game is enough. East leads the 10 of diamonds (the unbid suit), covered by the Queen and King (West should play the Q from AQ at notrump, to flush out declarer's King; the play cannot cost if partner has the King.) The nine of diamonds will be a stopper if East is kept offf lead, so declarer leads his small spade to the Ten. West, counting points, may hope for some high cards in East's hand and try a futile club switch. Declarer wins and can claim +690 when the spades split.
Board 19: West opens 2NT (20-21) and East is on the bubble between a simple raise to 3 and inviting slam. 6C is apt to have better chances than 6NT, but East cannot be sure of a fit. With 31 or 52 hcp and two balanced hands, I think it's best not to chase the slam.
In the play declarer should lead a low club toward East's A-10-8; capturing the King, declarer leads low again toward the J-7. If South plays low finessing the 7 is probably a good bet (woud North play the King from K9 or K9x?) but I expect most declarers to go up with the Jack and finish with 10 tricks.
Board 1: A routine 1NT-3NT auction and a low spade or diamond lead yields +490 for E/W as long as declarer untangles the spades and leads a heart toward East before squeezing himslef with the clubs. If North ducks a heart, a squeeze or poor discard by South may allow 13 tricks. Slam requires too much luck to merit consideration.
Board 2: East opens 1S, West responds 2H. It is important to realize that this promises 5+ hearts when playing 1NT forcing, or just possibly 3433 shape. Opener should raise hearts, but with 4 obvious cover cards (KQ of hearts, AK of diamonds) plus ruffing values and Queen-fifth in spades opener can make a mild slam try by bidding out his shape: 1S-2H-3D-3NT (or3H)-4H. Responder pictures the short clubs and, expecting to ruff one low club and pitch another on a diamond or spade winner, has only 4 remaining losers and so is worth slam if opener has sufficient controls. 4NT (RKCB or 1430) fetches a 5S reply (two key cards plus the Queen) and the excellent 6H slam is reached. Kudos to Jackie and Charles for bidding this way for a top.
Board 15: South opens 1S, North bids 2C (not a good hand for a strong jump shift despite the good clubs), South bids 2H. Playing 2/1 game force allows North to rebid a forcing 2NT here; South continues with 3S and North signs off at 3NT. 30 hcp but no fit, game is enough. East leads the 10 of diamonds (the unbid suit), covered by the Queen and King (West should play the Q from AQ at notrump, to flush out declarer's King; the play cannot cost if partner has the King.) The nine of diamonds will be a stopper if East is kept offf lead, so declarer leads his small spade to the Ten. West, counting points, may hope for some high cards in East's hand and try a futile club switch. Declarer wins and can claim +690 when the spades split.
Board 19: West opens 2NT (20-21) and East is on the bubble between a simple raise to 3 and inviting slam. 6C is apt to have better chances than 6NT, but East cannot be sure of a fit. With 31 or 52 hcp and two balanced hands, I think it's best not to chase the slam.
In the play declarer should lead a low club toward East's A-10-8; capturing the King, declarer leads low again toward the J-7. If South plays low finessing the 7 is probably a good bet (woud North play the King from K9 or K9x?) but I expect most declarers to go up with the Jack and finish with 10 tricks.
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