Sunday 3/20/2011

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Competition Corner -- Board 3: Lots of judgment calls on this one. Despite two aces, South has a poorish, balanced 11 count: three jacks, no tens, doubleton ace. Even a Precision pair could pass that. West either passes or opens 2H depending on the partnership attitude toward suit quality for a vulnerable weak two. If you open this sort of hand, you want to play Ogust so partner can inquire about your suit quality. The suit is actually fairly sturdy (J1098 at the top protects against a bad break) but with no side ace as an entry it is not clear you want a heart lead at any contract. North, in third seat, has a fine suit (AQ10953); some players worry that such a hand is "too good" for a non-vulnerable weak two. This isn't something to worry about in third seat, the only question is whether a "heavy" 2S or "light" 1S is the best tactical bid (or an off-beat 3S.) I strongly prefer 2S in any position: it gives partner a proper picture of your overall high card and suit strength. The side five card suit and void are "extras" which you may or may not have a chance to describe; but I find opening 1S or 3S misleads partner far more often than 2S, and I can't imagine passing such a fine suit. I tell my partners there is no such thing as a hand "in-between" 1 and 2 -- the best weak twos are the ones closest to an opening bid, not the super-light variety where the opponents surely have the strength to bid.

Assuming Pass-Pass-2S, what can East do? Over 1S, East could overcall 2H, but with only a five card suit 3H (over 2S) is quite a risky bid vulnerable, while double risks missing the likely heart fit. At IMP scoring (teams) I believe I'd pass, but at matchpoints (where you can't get worse than a zero) I would assume a heart fit (better than 50% odds) and bid 3H. Should South compete? The known 9 card fit justifies 3S, but bidding over 3 of a major always risks chasing the enemy into a game they weren't going to bid -- your first instinct should be to let the opponents play 3 or 5 of a major. However, South's hand is the sort I recommend for a 3S bid in this auction: a combination of offense and defense (9 card fit and 11 hcp, including two aces which will be useful either way.) If E/W have a game, South could bid 4S as a sacrifice, expecting partner to take 7 or 8 tricks and be down 300 or 500 vs. 620. But do they have a game and will they bid it? I used to pass in such situations but have now decided it is better to bid 3S with the understanding partner is invited back in to the auction to double or sacrifice if his hand has distinctly more defense or offense than expected.

West, with 6 card support (!) raises to 4H, and North in fact does have extra shape and bids 4S. (North would pass with a routnie hand like AQxxx xx xx Qxx.) And this proves to be the winning call -- both sides can make ten tricks, West competes to 5H, which South doubles. If North opened 1S, South might well double 4H, making. If West opened 2H, North overcalls and South makes the winning 4S bid over East's 4H.

Better Bidding: Opener's 3 level rebid and Quantitative 4NT
Board 2: South opens 1H with a prime 19 count, planning a jump shift to 3C over the expected 1S or 1NT response. Instead, North bids 2D, and South bids 3C without jumping. A new suit at the three level shows extra strength; South should "temporize" by rebidding 2H with a minimum 5-4 hand. There simply isn't room below 3NT to bid intelligently if opener can bid 3C with anything from 11 to 21 hcp. But the non-jump 3C only sugests 15+, not South's actual monster; when North rebids 3NT, South must try again. If 2D was game-forcing, South can reasonably bid 5NT, "pick a slam", in case responder concealed support for clubs. If 2D is standard, promising only 10 or 11 hcp, South raises 3NT to 4 as a quantitative slam try (not Blackwood.) North, with 14 rather than 11, bids 6NT despite having no aces. How do you know 4NT is not Blackwood? When notrump is raised and no suit has been agreed, 4NT is quantitative -- if the partnership has 33 hcp, it cannot be missing 3 aces; conversely, number of aces will not tell you whether you have the power to take 12 tricks.

In the play, a spade lead pressures declarer at trick one: one spade, three hearts, one diamond and four clubs totals only 9 tricks; a winning diamond finesse will add only one more trick, as there is no combination that will allow declarer to win three or more diamond tricks without a loser. Looks like the slam depends on a 3-3 heart split. The spade is ducked to West's King to establish a second trick in the suit, and the hearts do split. Double-dummy 13 tricks can be made by finessing East for the King of diamonds and squeezing West in diamonds and spades, but the odds are very poor.