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.