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Competition Corner -- bidding over their takeout double
Board 20: North opens 1H; East's hand is far from classic, but with 13 hcp outside of hearts and four spades, a taekout double is reasonable. South, with 9 hcp, should give partner a bid; a 1S "baby psyche" is an old ploy, but a simple 1NT showing 6-9 hcp is just as effective at blocking the spade suit. West assumes a spade fit but is too weak and shapeless to bid; the defense would take the first seven tricks, and -200 is almost always a poor score. 1NT should end the auction. As it happens, hearts and clubs both run, but game would be a poor bet. Give East one fewer heart and one more club (as is likely from the auction) and you'll see what I mean.
With a better hand, 10 hcp, South would redouble.
Slamarama
Board 9: North opens 1S and South responds with the popular Jacoby 2NT game-forcing raise, promising 4 card support and game values. North's first priority is to show a singleton; with none, he describes his strength: 4S = minimum, 3NT = medium, 4S = strong. The classic ranges would be 12-14, 15-17 and 18+, but those assumed 2NT was limited to about 15 points while the modern style is for 2NT to be unlimited. I prefer 4S = 11 to a poor 13, 3NT = good 13 to 15, 3S = 16+. Either way, North's hand qualifies as a minimum, so 4S. South counts only 5 losers, generally enough for slam opposite an opening bid; partner's expected 12 hcp should cover 4 losers. South would like to be sure of a heart control, but no bidding room below 4NT, RKCB is the practical bid, followed by 6S when North shows 1 Ace or 2 Key cards. If playing regular Blackwood, a 5C control bid is the best move; North shows the desired heart control and again 6S is reached. The defense, of course, cannot score more than the Ace of diamonds.
Board 15: West has a monster, 22 hcp, 0463 shape, 2 or 3 losers, 4 first-round and 3 second round controls. There is some risk of being passed out at 1D, though it is likely someone will bid spades. The problem with a 2C opening is that partner will likely respond 2D (waiting or semi-positive), West rebids 3D, and a possible 4-4 heart fit may be lost in the shuffle. But 6D looks likely and 2C is the best first move toward that goal. Assume East responds 2D semi-positive, 4+ hcp (2H would be 0-3.) West bids 3D; East must choose between 3NT and 4D. At IMP scoring (teams) 5D will probably be safe and the raise looks correct, but at matchpoints you hate to score 600 when 630 at notrump was possible. I'd probably bid 3NT but when West pulls to 4D East can proceed with Blackwood or RKCB folowed by 6D. A player who pulls 3NT to 4 of a minor is not looking to trade a game bid for a part-score, it should be a slam try and East knows the King is a big card.
East, declarer thanks to the artificial 2D response, ruffs the opening spade lead in dummy. East wants to score an overtrick if possible but the first priority is to remove trumps. The Ace and King of diamonds accomplish that task, leaving East in hand to lead the Jack of hearts for a finesse. +940 ties for a top.
Board 17: North passes, East opens 1D, South likely overcalls 1H despite minimal values and an "empty" suit -- the 1534 shape is good, and all 9 hcp are in the longer suits. West should be thinking 6S or 6D, but a jump to 2S would be weak "in competition" so West starts with a simple 1S. NOrth jams the bidding with a preemptive jump to 3H. East counts 7 tricks on the expected heart lead; can partner provide two more? It's a guess but going down one or two in 3NT may prove less costly than deffnding versus hearts, so 3NT it is. South passes and West still does not know which slam to bid: 6D opposite a hand like East has today, but 6 or 7 spades if East has a balanced 18 count.. Rather than guess, West bids 4H hoping for a clue. East wonders what that is supposed to mean but 5D seems obvious and West raises to 6.
Cashing an Ace is often the best defense against a suit slam, but here the bidding suggests East has the King and West may be void, so South leads the King of clubs. East counts 2 spades, 6 diamonds and 2 clubs, so 2 more tricks are needed by way of heart ruffs or long spades. The lead removes an entry to the spades, and declarer lacks non-trump entries to his hand to lead hearts for ruffs. It looks like spades must be ruffed for transportation, so East may as well try to establish the suit. 3-2 spades and 2-2 diamonds would make the slam easy, but rather than count on luck, East cashes a high trump (noting the fall of the ten), a high spade, ruffs a spade high, and is glad of his caution when South discards. Now the slam depends on believing North's ten was not a false-card; declarer needs two more entries to dummy and must pull two rounds of trumps before cashing any spades; a low diamond to the 7 succeeds, another sapde is ruffed high and dummy is reached with the last low diamond to the nine. Now declarer pitches 3 hearts and a club on the good spades and concedes a club for a well-played +920.
My partner faced an opening spade lead. He cashed one high spade and tried ruffing one low, which South over-ruffed. But that left an extra trump in dummy, and it was simple to ruff a heart to dummy, ruff a spade high, pull trumps and return to dummy with the Ace of clubs to cash four more spade tricks. Holding the missing Ace, South was unlikely to reach partner for ruff, but leading a singleton can cause transportation problems for declarer. Here, however, it seems obvious to try and set up a club, and perhaps surprise declarer with the bad spade break.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Wednesday, May 25th 2011
Right-click here for hands. IMP pairs scoring today -- slam and games are more important than at matchpoints, but sacrificing is dangerous.
Lucky 12
Board 16: A standard auction for N/S might be 1H-2D-2S-2NT-3NT. Both North and South have extras, but with no fit 3NT is a reasonable contract. 12 tricks roll in when the clubs split 3-3. The heart finesse also works, but declarer can avoid that simply by leading toward the KQ of spades. Anyway, not a good slam to bid.
4207
Board 17: North opens 1D and East has a good hand with 4207 shape. The hand is too good for any sort of preempt. East bids 2C; there is little chance that will end the bidding. West, with a balanced 13 and two diamond stoppers, cannot be sure how strong East is for the overcall; a natural 2NT describes the hand, expecting partner to raise to game with full opening bid values. North has good shape but with both opponents showing strength partner is likely broke and North should retire from the fray. East can see game or perhaps slam chances in clubs, notrump, or spades; a 3D cue-bid preserves options and establishes a game force. This does not promise anything specific to diamonds. West can then bid 3H, East 3S, West 3NT and East should pass. The double-dummy analyzer claims 6NT can be made by West, but it is hard to find a 12 trick -- perhaps a squeeze. 6C West is easy -- if North cashes his Ace, the King of hearts provides the slam-going trick, if he doesn't, you pitch both hearts losers on the diamonds and 13th spade sets up. But it's hard to constrcut a sensible sequence that has West bidding clubs first. At the table, South has no obvious reason to lead a heart and 6C actually makes by East. Another slam I would not be eager to bid.
Powerful Raise
Board 26: South opens 1S and North should expect his hand can provide 6 or 7 tricks (depending on whether the hearts run.) This hand is ideal for a Roman Key Card auction; 4NT fetches a 5H reply, 2 key cards without the Queen of spades. North should then retreat to 5S -- a slam missing the Queen plus a key card is usually worse than 50%. South has an undisclosed void but has no way to tell if it is useful. However, the Jack of spades plus the void makes 6S a reasonable gamble -- the trump finesse might work or the heart void might be useful. The finesse is on, trumps split badly, but dummy's 8 of spades proves crucial.
Double then Jump
Board 30: South opens 1H and West has a monster with 20 hcp and 8 tricks. West starts with a double -- he can handle any club bids partner might make. East replies 2D, showing 0-8 points and four or more diamonds. With 32 hcp accounted for, West cannot be sure of any values from partner; a jump to 3S urges partner to bid game if he isn't broke. East must re-evaluate -- had partner bid only 2S, that would show about 17-19, and East would generally bid again with 6-8. Partner's jump shows more playing strength and East should be happy to raise to game with 1 1/2 diamond tricks and two small trumps rather than a singleton or void.
Lucky 12
Board 16: A standard auction for N/S might be 1H-2D-2S-2NT-3NT. Both North and South have extras, but with no fit 3NT is a reasonable contract. 12 tricks roll in when the clubs split 3-3. The heart finesse also works, but declarer can avoid that simply by leading toward the KQ of spades. Anyway, not a good slam to bid.
4207
Board 17: North opens 1D and East has a good hand with 4207 shape. The hand is too good for any sort of preempt. East bids 2C; there is little chance that will end the bidding. West, with a balanced 13 and two diamond stoppers, cannot be sure how strong East is for the overcall; a natural 2NT describes the hand, expecting partner to raise to game with full opening bid values. North has good shape but with both opponents showing strength partner is likely broke and North should retire from the fray. East can see game or perhaps slam chances in clubs, notrump, or spades; a 3D cue-bid preserves options and establishes a game force. This does not promise anything specific to diamonds. West can then bid 3H, East 3S, West 3NT and East should pass. The double-dummy analyzer claims 6NT can be made by West, but it is hard to find a 12 trick -- perhaps a squeeze. 6C West is easy -- if North cashes his Ace, the King of hearts provides the slam-going trick, if he doesn't, you pitch both hearts losers on the diamonds and 13th spade sets up. But it's hard to constrcut a sensible sequence that has West bidding clubs first. At the table, South has no obvious reason to lead a heart and 6C actually makes by East. Another slam I would not be eager to bid.
Powerful Raise
Board 26: South opens 1S and North should expect his hand can provide 6 or 7 tricks (depending on whether the hearts run.) This hand is ideal for a Roman Key Card auction; 4NT fetches a 5H reply, 2 key cards without the Queen of spades. North should then retreat to 5S -- a slam missing the Queen plus a key card is usually worse than 50%. South has an undisclosed void but has no way to tell if it is useful. However, the Jack of spades plus the void makes 6S a reasonable gamble -- the trump finesse might work or the heart void might be useful. The finesse is on, trumps split badly, but dummy's 8 of spades proves crucial.
Double then Jump
Board 30: South opens 1H and West has a monster with 20 hcp and 8 tricks. West starts with a double -- he can handle any club bids partner might make. East replies 2D, showing 0-8 points and four or more diamonds. With 32 hcp accounted for, West cannot be sure of any values from partner; a jump to 3S urges partner to bid game if he isn't broke. East must re-evaluate -- had partner bid only 2S, that would show about 17-19, and East would generally bid again with 6-8. Partner's jump shows more playing strength and East should be happy to raise to game with 1 1/2 diamond tricks and two small trumps rather than a singleton or void.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Sunday, May 22nd 2011
30 teams! What a turnout. No hand records, of course, for the Swiss teams "Eight is Enough" event.
.Planning for 12 tricks --Necessary Finesse
AKQx Jx
AJ10xx xx
AK10 8xxx
x AQJxx
A good bidding sequence might be:
2C-2D (showing some values, 2H would be a "bust")
2H-3C
3NT-4NT (invitational, notrump raises are usually not Blackwood)
pass
However, 6NT was reached at one table and 6H (East, thanks to an artificial bid) at the other. Declarer counts 4 spade tricks, 1 heart, 2 diamonds and 1 club; a second club can be forced and the hearts may provide up to four tricks if South holds Kxx or Qxx. To manage that you must use the two entries in East's hand to finesse twice in hearts, but also establish and cash the extra club. Win the opening lead (diamond or spade) in the West hand, keeping the Jack of spades for a later entry. Finesse the club at trick two; if this works, you'll have your second club trick and the two entries needed for the hearts. If it fails, you may still manage 10 or 11 tricks depending on how the hearts behave; taking the club finesse early insures you can cash two club tricks when you return to East with the Jack of spades.
In fact, South had Qxx of hearts and North had the King of clubs, but one declarer was down 1 and the other down 3. Millions of bridge columns have been written showing brilliant ways to avoid taking a finesse, but often there is no alternative.
At 4NT, you need only two extra tricks. Hearts offer the best chances so I would use the Jack of spades and then Ace of clubs to finesse twice in hearts. This will succeed unless North has at least KQxx in hearts.
.Planning for 12 tricks --Necessary Finesse
AKQx Jx
AJ10xx xx
AK10 8xxx
x AQJxx
A good bidding sequence might be:
2C-2D (showing some values, 2H would be a "bust")
2H-3C
3NT-4NT (invitational, notrump raises are usually not Blackwood)
pass
However, 6NT was reached at one table and 6H (East, thanks to an artificial bid) at the other. Declarer counts 4 spade tricks, 1 heart, 2 diamonds and 1 club; a second club can be forced and the hearts may provide up to four tricks if South holds Kxx or Qxx. To manage that you must use the two entries in East's hand to finesse twice in hearts, but also establish and cash the extra club. Win the opening lead (diamond or spade) in the West hand, keeping the Jack of spades for a later entry. Finesse the club at trick two; if this works, you'll have your second club trick and the two entries needed for the hearts. If it fails, you may still manage 10 or 11 tricks depending on how the hearts behave; taking the club finesse early insures you can cash two club tricks when you return to East with the Jack of spades.
In fact, South had Qxx of hearts and North had the King of clubs, but one declarer was down 1 and the other down 3. Millions of bridge columns have been written showing brilliant ways to avoid taking a finesse, but often there is no alternative.
At 4NT, you need only two extra tricks. Hearts offer the best chances so I would use the Jack of spades and then Ace of clubs to finesse twice in hearts. This will succeed unless North has at least KQxx in hearts.
Friday, May 20, 2011
Friday, May 20th 2011
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Preempt -- Board 2:
If West opens a routine 3S, North overcalls 4C, East competes with 4S, and South can blast 6C, bid 4NT (guessing partner won't have the Ae of spades), or cue-bid 5S to suggest the void. 4 of 9 piars reached the excellent slam. 6H (South) will also make in practice since beating it requires an unlikely diamond lead and club shift for West to ruff.
I would open 3S with routine 7222 shape, but West's actual 7240 coupled with the favorable vulnerability argues for the more aggressive 4S opening. Now North is uncertain whether to overcall at the five level, vulnerable, when 4S may well be down. N/S cannot have an Ace-asking auction and must guess to bid slam. East/West have a profitable sacrifice at 6S but East's Ace of diamonds and Queen of clubs might be just enough to beat the slam so East may not bid it despite the vulnerability. (He can discount any spade tricks but West could have a side trick.)
Solid Slam -- Board 5:
North's has only 11 hcp including a doubleton Queen, but the excellent 6-4 shape with two quick tricks including an Ace makes this a sound 1S opening. Even after deducting a point North has a Goren 13 count or a Rule of 20 opening. East has a crummy suit -- I'd probably pass -- but I expect most will overcall 2D. South, with only 4 losers and 4 quick tricks, will be even more slammish after the overcall, expecting short diamonds in partner's hand. South bids 2H for the moment and North limits his hand by rebidding 2S -- 3C would show a good 14 or better. South would like to set hearts as trumps and then inquire about key cards, but North can pass either 3H or 4H. The practical bid by South is 6H, though Blackwood bidders can safely check on Aces first. It would be dangerous to use RKCB if partner would assume spades as trumps since partner might "correct" South's eventual 6H to 6S. I never use plain Blackwood in a partnership that uses RKCB but it is useful on a hand like this.
I suspect many passed North's hand originally since only one pair reached the laydown 6H slam. A club lead is the most awkward, but South can simply drive out the spade Ace, ruff a diamond, pitch one on the high spade, and then pull trumps.
Splinter after competition -- Board 11:
South opens 1C and West preempts with 2D, 3D, or 2NT (two lower unbid suits.) North bids spades regardless, and South counts 5 losers; North can be expected to cover 3 or 4 of those with high cards (figure one cover card for every 3 points.) South's best move is a jump to 4D (splinter) if available; normally, I avoid splintering with a singleton Ace, but in the enemy suit partner is unlikely to have the King and the splinter will generally help his evaluation. Here North is ddelighted to learn partner can cover his diamond losers and should drive to slam after checking on Aces or Key Cards.
If West jumped to 3D, South still bids 4D as a strong raise but now North is less certain about a shortage. With only one key card North is likely to settle for 4S. If West bid 2NT East should bid 4H over North's 3S. Bidding over 3 of a major risks driving the opponents into a game they weren't planning to bid, but here North's 3S is forcing and East may as well compete, setting the stage for a possible sacrifice by West. Over 4H South cannot safely investigate slam and should simply bid 4S. West has a high offense, zero defense hand and tries 5H as a sacrifice; North doubles (more defense than offense from his perspective) and as South I'd guess to leave the double in. South cashes the Ace of diamonds then leads the Queen of spades, which will force North to overtake and perhaps give South his ruff -- North might well duck the King of spades. But +300 will be inadequate; if North anticipates the ruff, he'll lead his lowest diamond and South can get back to him with a club (I'd lead the Jack) for a second ruff. +500 would score average or so.
Preempt -- Board 2:
If West opens a routine 3S, North overcalls 4C, East competes with 4S, and South can blast 6C, bid 4NT (guessing partner won't have the Ae of spades), or cue-bid 5S to suggest the void. 4 of 9 piars reached the excellent slam. 6H (South) will also make in practice since beating it requires an unlikely diamond lead and club shift for West to ruff.
I would open 3S with routine 7222 shape, but West's actual 7240 coupled with the favorable vulnerability argues for the more aggressive 4S opening. Now North is uncertain whether to overcall at the five level, vulnerable, when 4S may well be down. N/S cannot have an Ace-asking auction and must guess to bid slam. East/West have a profitable sacrifice at 6S but East's Ace of diamonds and Queen of clubs might be just enough to beat the slam so East may not bid it despite the vulnerability. (He can discount any spade tricks but West could have a side trick.)
Solid Slam -- Board 5:
North's has only 11 hcp including a doubleton Queen, but the excellent 6-4 shape with two quick tricks including an Ace makes this a sound 1S opening. Even after deducting a point North has a Goren 13 count or a Rule of 20 opening. East has a crummy suit -- I'd probably pass -- but I expect most will overcall 2D. South, with only 4 losers and 4 quick tricks, will be even more slammish after the overcall, expecting short diamonds in partner's hand. South bids 2H for the moment and North limits his hand by rebidding 2S -- 3C would show a good 14 or better. South would like to set hearts as trumps and then inquire about key cards, but North can pass either 3H or 4H. The practical bid by South is 6H, though Blackwood bidders can safely check on Aces first. It would be dangerous to use RKCB if partner would assume spades as trumps since partner might "correct" South's eventual 6H to 6S. I never use plain Blackwood in a partnership that uses RKCB but it is useful on a hand like this.
I suspect many passed North's hand originally since only one pair reached the laydown 6H slam. A club lead is the most awkward, but South can simply drive out the spade Ace, ruff a diamond, pitch one on the high spade, and then pull trumps.
Splinter after competition -- Board 11:
South opens 1C and West preempts with 2D, 3D, or 2NT (two lower unbid suits.) North bids spades regardless, and South counts 5 losers; North can be expected to cover 3 or 4 of those with high cards (figure one cover card for every 3 points.) South's best move is a jump to 4D (splinter) if available; normally, I avoid splintering with a singleton Ace, but in the enemy suit partner is unlikely to have the King and the splinter will generally help his evaluation. Here North is ddelighted to learn partner can cover his diamond losers and should drive to slam after checking on Aces or Key Cards.
If West jumped to 3D, South still bids 4D as a strong raise but now North is less certain about a shortage. With only one key card North is likely to settle for 4S. If West bid 2NT East should bid 4H over North's 3S. Bidding over 3 of a major risks driving the opponents into a game they weren't planning to bid, but here North's 3S is forcing and East may as well compete, setting the stage for a possible sacrifice by West. Over 4H South cannot safely investigate slam and should simply bid 4S. West has a high offense, zero defense hand and tries 5H as a sacrifice; North doubles (more defense than offense from his perspective) and as South I'd guess to leave the double in. South cashes the Ace of diamonds then leads the Queen of spades, which will force North to overtake and perhaps give South his ruff -- North might well duck the King of spades. But +300 will be inadequate; if North anticipates the ruff, he'll lead his lowest diamond and South can get back to him with a club (I'd lead the Jack) for a second ruff. +500 would score average or so.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Wednesday, May 18th 2011
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Better Bidding: New suit after Stayman
Board 5: East opens 1NT (15-17), West checks for a major with 2C (Stayman). East replies 2D (no major); what now? If West must guess, 3NT would be the best bet; chances are partner has the clubs stopped or they won't lead the suit. In fact, 3 pairs bid 3NT and made. West has 7+ losers and it would be a strretch to expect opener to cover 6 of them for slam. However, add some additional strength or shape to West's hand and slam in diamonds could be plausible or even likely. What should West bid with, say, AKxx Qxx Axxxx x ? It's easy to picture hands where 6D is cold while 3NT goes down, or vice-versa. In standard methods, a key principle is:
A new suit at the three level after Stayman or a transfer is forcing to 3NT. West can bid 3D with the suggested hand; opener with today's hand takes this as indicating an unblanced hand and/or slam interest. Either way, a 3H "concentration of values" bid will help partner -- if that's his short suit, he can retreat to 3NT, if it isn't, he'll know you can control that suit. Since the problem is clubs, responder bids 3S, and opener retreats to 4D. Responder can raise to 5D or resonably take a shot at 6.
Back to today's actual hand, responder holding AKxx xxxx A1097 x . When responder bids 2C, North doubles for a club lead. Opener has no major, but the double gives him two additional bids: pass and redouble. Therefore 2D over the double does not merely deny a major, it actually shows 4+ diamonds. Pass would indicate no suit other than clubs, while redouble would show a strong club holding like KJ109x that could expect to make 2C redoubled. So, on today's hand, opener bids 2D: no major, 4+ diamonds.
Although 5D may be a reasonable spot, responder would prefer 3NT if opener can handle a club lead. Experts might agree 3C as an artificial forcing bid and 3D as a game invitation, but KISS argues for treating 3D as forcing, just as if North had passed. The bidding then continues 3H-3S-4D-5D and a solid game is reached. 12 tricks roll in thanks to North's doubleton QJ of hearts.
What about a 4-3 major fit? Two pairs reached 4H, but spades is clearly the stronger suit. The problem with either is that the long trump hand cannot afford to ruff the second round of clubs, since odds are 2 to1 trumps split 4-2 or worse. Generally, you want to play a 4-2 fit when the short hand can ruff the unstopped suit. Here, however, opener can pitch a heart or spade (whichever isn't trumps) on the second round of clubs and then East is out of clubs and can ruff if needed. East might reasonably raise 3S to 4S, suggesting the superior 4-3 fit.
Slam Zone: Big and Black
Board 12: North may open 2D, or not if he pays attention to the vulnerability and/or avoids opening a weak two with a side four-card major. With specifically 4 (weak) hearts and 6 (good) diamonds, I reason that we likely have a diamond fit and if South also has hearts, they have a spade fit and they'll outbid us anyway. However, I recall a hand where Bobby Wolf applied the same logic and missed a heart game the Italians found by not opening the 4-6 red hand.
Assuming North passes, what should East open? This depends a lot on methods -- East has the high card, quick trick and playing strength for 2C, but must consider that partner cannot pass as long as East keeps bidding new suits. Two-suiters with less than 10 tricks in hand can be awkward if you start with 2C. And if your methods include a 3C "second negative", how will you ever show clubs? "Steps" bidders and "2H bust" devotees can plan on showing both suits, but may get too high if partner properly treats the sequence 2C-2D (or 2H, whichever is weakest)-2S-2NT-3C as forcing. However, it's pessimistic to assume partner will be super weak, so I think 2C is fine IF you don't play 2C-2D-2S-3C as "second negative."
If East does not open 2C, which is better -- 1S or 1C? With this powerhouse you want to give everyone maximum opportunity to give you another chance to bid, so I would definetley open1C. If partner responds in a red suit, you can jump-shift to 2S and then rebid spades to show your 5-5 hand. Note that spades and clubs is the ONLY 5-5 shape where you can consider opening the lower-ranking suit; viewing the suits as a circle, it's as if clubs ranked just above spades. On wekaer black 5-5, it is usually better to open spades to avoid being preempted out of the major suit.
A possible 2C auction: 2C-2D (promising 4+ hcp, forcing to game); 2S-3S (promising a control somehere, otherwise would leap to 4S); 4C (control cue)-4S (declining to cue-bid with such a weak hand and only a second-round control). East likely passes 4S.
If West does not hurry to support spades with such weak trumps -- in a game-forcing aution, he can get back to them later -- the bidding might start 2C-2D; 2S-2NT; 3C-3S. Slam is apt to be better in clubs, but West is still minimal and spades the most likely game. East continues with 4C (or 4D) and West may cue-bid 4H, but slam depends who has the heart Ace and 6S also needs a 3-2 trump split. (At 6C you can ruff the fourth round of spades if needed.) I note that the only two pairs to reach slam did so in the superior club fit -- don't feel you must play slams in majors or 6NT, 6C and 6D making almost always scores well. Surprisingly, the two pairs reaching slam managed to make West declarer, protecting the heart King. I suspect North opened 2D, East doubled, and West bid 3C in reply. East can then force with 3D or simply blast to 6C, hoping West controls hearts or they lead a diamond. Preempts, like any other bid, sometimes backfire.
Better Bidding: New suit after Stayman
Board 5: East opens 1NT (15-17), West checks for a major with 2C (Stayman). East replies 2D (no major); what now? If West must guess, 3NT would be the best bet; chances are partner has the clubs stopped or they won't lead the suit. In fact, 3 pairs bid 3NT and made. West has 7+ losers and it would be a strretch to expect opener to cover 6 of them for slam. However, add some additional strength or shape to West's hand and slam in diamonds could be plausible or even likely. What should West bid with, say, AKxx Qxx Axxxx x ? It's easy to picture hands where 6D is cold while 3NT goes down, or vice-versa. In standard methods, a key principle is:
A new suit at the three level after Stayman or a transfer is forcing to 3NT. West can bid 3D with the suggested hand; opener with today's hand takes this as indicating an unblanced hand and/or slam interest. Either way, a 3H "concentration of values" bid will help partner -- if that's his short suit, he can retreat to 3NT, if it isn't, he'll know you can control that suit. Since the problem is clubs, responder bids 3S, and opener retreats to 4D. Responder can raise to 5D or resonably take a shot at 6.
Back to today's actual hand, responder holding AKxx xxxx A1097 x . When responder bids 2C, North doubles for a club lead. Opener has no major, but the double gives him two additional bids: pass and redouble. Therefore 2D over the double does not merely deny a major, it actually shows 4+ diamonds. Pass would indicate no suit other than clubs, while redouble would show a strong club holding like KJ109x that could expect to make 2C redoubled. So, on today's hand, opener bids 2D: no major, 4+ diamonds.
Although 5D may be a reasonable spot, responder would prefer 3NT if opener can handle a club lead. Experts might agree 3C as an artificial forcing bid and 3D as a game invitation, but KISS argues for treating 3D as forcing, just as if North had passed. The bidding then continues 3H-3S-4D-5D and a solid game is reached. 12 tricks roll in thanks to North's doubleton QJ of hearts.
What about a 4-3 major fit? Two pairs reached 4H, but spades is clearly the stronger suit. The problem with either is that the long trump hand cannot afford to ruff the second round of clubs, since odds are 2 to1 trumps split 4-2 or worse. Generally, you want to play a 4-2 fit when the short hand can ruff the unstopped suit. Here, however, opener can pitch a heart or spade (whichever isn't trumps) on the second round of clubs and then East is out of clubs and can ruff if needed. East might reasonably raise 3S to 4S, suggesting the superior 4-3 fit.
Slam Zone: Big and Black
Board 12: North may open 2D, or not if he pays attention to the vulnerability and/or avoids opening a weak two with a side four-card major. With specifically 4 (weak) hearts and 6 (good) diamonds, I reason that we likely have a diamond fit and if South also has hearts, they have a spade fit and they'll outbid us anyway. However, I recall a hand where Bobby Wolf applied the same logic and missed a heart game the Italians found by not opening the 4-6 red hand.
Assuming North passes, what should East open? This depends a lot on methods -- East has the high card, quick trick and playing strength for 2C, but must consider that partner cannot pass as long as East keeps bidding new suits. Two-suiters with less than 10 tricks in hand can be awkward if you start with 2C. And if your methods include a 3C "second negative", how will you ever show clubs? "Steps" bidders and "2H bust" devotees can plan on showing both suits, but may get too high if partner properly treats the sequence 2C-2D (or 2H, whichever is weakest)-2S-2NT-3C as forcing. However, it's pessimistic to assume partner will be super weak, so I think 2C is fine IF you don't play 2C-2D-2S-3C as "second negative."
If East does not open 2C, which is better -- 1S or 1C? With this powerhouse you want to give everyone maximum opportunity to give you another chance to bid, so I would definetley open1C. If partner responds in a red suit, you can jump-shift to 2S and then rebid spades to show your 5-5 hand. Note that spades and clubs is the ONLY 5-5 shape where you can consider opening the lower-ranking suit; viewing the suits as a circle, it's as if clubs ranked just above spades. On wekaer black 5-5, it is usually better to open spades to avoid being preempted out of the major suit.
A possible 2C auction: 2C-2D (promising 4+ hcp, forcing to game); 2S-3S (promising a control somehere, otherwise would leap to 4S); 4C (control cue)-4S (declining to cue-bid with such a weak hand and only a second-round control). East likely passes 4S.
If West does not hurry to support spades with such weak trumps -- in a game-forcing aution, he can get back to them later -- the bidding might start 2C-2D; 2S-2NT; 3C-3S. Slam is apt to be better in clubs, but West is still minimal and spades the most likely game. East continues with 4C (or 4D) and West may cue-bid 4H, but slam depends who has the heart Ace and 6S also needs a 3-2 trump split. (At 6C you can ruff the fourth round of spades if needed.) I note that the only two pairs to reach slam did so in the superior club fit -- don't feel you must play slams in majors or 6NT, 6C and 6D making almost always scores well. Surprisingly, the two pairs reaching slam managed to make West declarer, protecting the heart King. I suspect North opened 2D, East doubled, and West bid 3C in reply. East can then force with 3D or simply blast to 6C, hoping West controls hearts or they lead a diamond. Preempts, like any other bid, sometimes backfire.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Sunday, May 15th 2011
No hand records for the (hand-dealt) Swiss teams,
Good hand with 8 card major:
As dealer you pick up AKJxxxxx -- xxx Ax (that's 8 spades and a heart void.) What's the best approach?
(1) The hand is far too good for a 4S opening -- you would make that bid with one less Ace, and perhaps a weaker suit (espcially if not vulnerable.) you have too much slam potential to start with 4S: first-round control in 3 suits and 3 key cards.
(2) The hand does not have enough high cards for 2C -- partner will drive the hand to slam far too often with useless values in hearts, or double the opponenents and be surprised when you produce only one defensive trick.
Open 1S. There are 28 hcp running around, and at least two players are short in spades. You won't be passed out. In most cases you will bid 4S at your next opportunity. If partner happens to respond 2D, you will try for slam (usually in spades.) Opening 1S and rebidding 4S suggests the defensive strength & controls of an opening bid combined with the playing strength of a 3S or 4S preempt.
If, however, I picked up AKQxxxxxx -- xx Ax (ten tricks, three quick tricks, control of three suits) I would open 2C and rebid 4S. This promises a full 10 tricks and good controls but below normal high card strength for a 2C opening.
Good hand with 8 card major:
As dealer you pick up AKJxxxxx -- xxx Ax (that's 8 spades and a heart void.) What's the best approach?
(1) The hand is far too good for a 4S opening -- you would make that bid with one less Ace, and perhaps a weaker suit (espcially if not vulnerable.) you have too much slam potential to start with 4S: first-round control in 3 suits and 3 key cards.
(2) The hand does not have enough high cards for 2C -- partner will drive the hand to slam far too often with useless values in hearts, or double the opponenents and be surprised when you produce only one defensive trick.
Open 1S. There are 28 hcp running around, and at least two players are short in spades. You won't be passed out. In most cases you will bid 4S at your next opportunity. If partner happens to respond 2D, you will try for slam (usually in spades.) Opening 1S and rebidding 4S suggests the defensive strength & controls of an opening bid combined with the playing strength of a 3S or 4S preempt.
If, however, I picked up AKQxxxxxx -- xx Ax (ten tricks, three quick tricks, control of three suits) I would open 2C and rebid 4S. This promises a full 10 tricks and good controls but below normal high card strength for a 2C opening.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Sunday May 8th, 2011
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Competition Corner -- Both minors over notrump
Board 14: East opens 1NT (15-17) and South is 5-5 in the minors with 13 hcp. What to bid? Regardless of other gadgets, most players would recognize 2NT as unusual for the minors. Actually, the stndard meaning of the "notrump cue-bid" is that it might be weak with both minors, or any strong two-suiter that looks more suitable for playing a game contract than trying to defeat 1NT. An example might be KQJ10x xx AKJ10xx -- . Four spades or five diamonds could be cold, but if opener has the Ace of spades he may have enough club or heart tricks to make one notrump. The 2NT bidder shows his freak two-suiter by bidding 2NT and then 3S over partner's minor suit reply.
Anyway, is 2NT the best approach on this hand? The suits are rather empty for my taste, while the overall defense is fairly high. 5-5 hands can play for a lot of tricks if the suits are strong or partner has four card support for one of them; with only three card support they tend to play about as expected by high card strength, and when ther is a misfit as on this hand they often play poorly. Personally I chose a simple 2D overcall and then passed West's 2H bid -- I would've competed to 3C had West bid my singleton, spades, instead. Showing both minors often helps the other side when they declare in a major since they have such a good roadmap of the hand. However, I won't claim 2D is clearly better than 2NT.
Over 2NT, West could double with a better hand (almost any 8+ hcp), which invites opener to double either minor with four trumps and/or good defense. A bid of 3H or 4S would suggest a six card suit and perhaps 5 or 6 points -- with 7+ West might leap to game. Here West suspects a major suit fit but is not strong enough to act; North likely bids 3C (smoothly, no squirming please!) Passing or bidding a major would be simply guessing, and on today's hand makes a bad situation worse. East can double for penalty -- it would not be reasonable for a limited hand to force partner to bid at the three level, while as you can see East can easily have a hand that expects to defeat 3C on its own. If North or South tries running to 3D, West should double. Against a diamond contract E/W must lead trumps at some point to prevent club ruffs by North.
Better Bidding -- after 1H-2D
Board 27: West really doesn't have an opening bid but I stretched with both majors and all those nines (OK, that's pretty lame.) North overcalls 2C and East bids 2D. Whether you normally play standard or 2/1 Game Force, the 2D bid in competition is the same, about 10+ hcp and 5+ diamonds. The 2/1 style caters to slam exploration at the expense of accurate part-score bidding; once the enemy speaks up, it's vital to fight for the part-score, and slam is less likely. 2D is forcing, however, and crowds West for a bid. He has some support for diamonds, but how much strength does 3D show? If West can bid that with 12 (or a shapely 11), what does he do with 14 or 17? The usual solution is to make the same bid reardless of strength, but use body language, sighs, groans or other means to distinguish weak from strong. Well, that's unethical and illegal, of course, and in my experience not very efficient anyway -- partner doesn't always read you correctly.
As in lebensohl situations, what is needed are two different paths to 3 of a suit. The vast majority of experts treat a 2H rebid here not as promising extra length, but simply as the default bid in a forcing situation. Bids of 3C or 3D can then promise extra strength -- about 14+ -- while 2H followed by one of those bids shows a weaker hand. Over 2H, East could rebid 3D but that is apt to be passed. Instead, East cue-bids 3C to create a force; West bids 3D. West would presumably bid 3NT with a club stopper, so East can hope for club ruffs and take as shot at 5D, or choose a cautious but reasonable pass. All suits split well and 12 tricks can be made by setting up dummy's 5th heart.
Strong 4441
Board 19: West has 23 hcp, but awkward 4441 shape with a singleton King of clubs. I think the reasonable choices are 2C followed by 2NT, treating the hand as balanced, or a heavy 1D bid. If partner is too weak to respond to 1D, how likely are you to have a game? One or the other of the opponents will usually have five clubs, and a weak partner may not provide you with a club stop and a ninth trick at notrump. On the other hand you may make game in either major opposite five small trumps. Choose your poison; I opened 1D and raised partner's 1NT to 3NT, figuring partner was far more likely to have 6 or 7 points than the 10 needed for slam. There was some chance partner had 4 diamonds but 3NT looked like the practical bid. After 2C-something-2NT, responder might well guess to bid 6C or 6NT, but 3NT was the popular contract.
Three finesses = poor slam chances
Board 16: not much slam action today. This should be a routine 1H-2H-4H hand, and when declarer wins three finesses to land 12 tricks, dummy should remark "well played" not "should we have bid it?" On a really bad day everything is wrong, 4H goes down, and it would still be the correct bid.
Competition Corner -- Both minors over notrump
Board 14: East opens 1NT (15-17) and South is 5-5 in the minors with 13 hcp. What to bid? Regardless of other gadgets, most players would recognize 2NT as unusual for the minors. Actually, the stndard meaning of the "notrump cue-bid" is that it might be weak with both minors, or any strong two-suiter that looks more suitable for playing a game contract than trying to defeat 1NT. An example might be KQJ10x xx AKJ10xx -- . Four spades or five diamonds could be cold, but if opener has the Ace of spades he may have enough club or heart tricks to make one notrump. The 2NT bidder shows his freak two-suiter by bidding 2NT and then 3S over partner's minor suit reply.
Anyway, is 2NT the best approach on this hand? The suits are rather empty for my taste, while the overall defense is fairly high. 5-5 hands can play for a lot of tricks if the suits are strong or partner has four card support for one of them; with only three card support they tend to play about as expected by high card strength, and when ther is a misfit as on this hand they often play poorly. Personally I chose a simple 2D overcall and then passed West's 2H bid -- I would've competed to 3C had West bid my singleton, spades, instead. Showing both minors often helps the other side when they declare in a major since they have such a good roadmap of the hand. However, I won't claim 2D is clearly better than 2NT.
Over 2NT, West could double with a better hand (almost any 8+ hcp), which invites opener to double either minor with four trumps and/or good defense. A bid of 3H or 4S would suggest a six card suit and perhaps 5 or 6 points -- with 7+ West might leap to game. Here West suspects a major suit fit but is not strong enough to act; North likely bids 3C (smoothly, no squirming please!) Passing or bidding a major would be simply guessing, and on today's hand makes a bad situation worse. East can double for penalty -- it would not be reasonable for a limited hand to force partner to bid at the three level, while as you can see East can easily have a hand that expects to defeat 3C on its own. If North or South tries running to 3D, West should double. Against a diamond contract E/W must lead trumps at some point to prevent club ruffs by North.
Better Bidding -- after 1H-2D
Board 27: West really doesn't have an opening bid but I stretched with both majors and all those nines (OK, that's pretty lame.) North overcalls 2C and East bids 2D. Whether you normally play standard or 2/1 Game Force, the 2D bid in competition is the same, about 10+ hcp and 5+ diamonds. The 2/1 style caters to slam exploration at the expense of accurate part-score bidding; once the enemy speaks up, it's vital to fight for the part-score, and slam is less likely. 2D is forcing, however, and crowds West for a bid. He has some support for diamonds, but how much strength does 3D show? If West can bid that with 12 (or a shapely 11), what does he do with 14 or 17? The usual solution is to make the same bid reardless of strength, but use body language, sighs, groans or other means to distinguish weak from strong. Well, that's unethical and illegal, of course, and in my experience not very efficient anyway -- partner doesn't always read you correctly.
As in lebensohl situations, what is needed are two different paths to 3 of a suit. The vast majority of experts treat a 2H rebid here not as promising extra length, but simply as the default bid in a forcing situation. Bids of 3C or 3D can then promise extra strength -- about 14+ -- while 2H followed by one of those bids shows a weaker hand. Over 2H, East could rebid 3D but that is apt to be passed. Instead, East cue-bids 3C to create a force; West bids 3D. West would presumably bid 3NT with a club stopper, so East can hope for club ruffs and take as shot at 5D, or choose a cautious but reasonable pass. All suits split well and 12 tricks can be made by setting up dummy's 5th heart.
Strong 4441
Board 19: West has 23 hcp, but awkward 4441 shape with a singleton King of clubs. I think the reasonable choices are 2C followed by 2NT, treating the hand as balanced, or a heavy 1D bid. If partner is too weak to respond to 1D, how likely are you to have a game? One or the other of the opponents will usually have five clubs, and a weak partner may not provide you with a club stop and a ninth trick at notrump. On the other hand you may make game in either major opposite five small trumps. Choose your poison; I opened 1D and raised partner's 1NT to 3NT, figuring partner was far more likely to have 6 or 7 points than the 10 needed for slam. There was some chance partner had 4 diamonds but 3NT looked like the practical bid. After 2C-something-2NT, responder might well guess to bid 6C or 6NT, but 3NT was the popular contract.
Three finesses = poor slam chances
Board 16: not much slam action today. This should be a routine 1H-2H-4H hand, and when declarer wins three finesses to land 12 tricks, dummy should remark "well played" not "should we have bid it?" On a really bad day everything is wrong, 4H goes down, and it would still be the correct bid.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Wednesday 5/4/2011
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Defense: Ace lead at notrump
Board 7: South might open 1C or 3C -- you hate to pass with such a good suit -- but pass is the mainstream choice vulnerable, you'll get a chance to bid the clubs later. North opens 1D (lots of tricks but nowhere near enough high cards for 2C), East overcalls 1H (too strong for a weak jump overcall) and South as expected bids 2C. West would like to raise, but will partner allow for such slim values? Still, West can expect to provide a heart trick and a ruff so a raise is not out of the question. I passed, however, and North leaped to 3D. South should raise -- if North had hearts stopped, North could've rebid 3NT, the normal action with a long, running suit and a stop in the enemy suit. At our table, however, South cue-bid 3H (support? partial stopper?) and North misinterpreted the bid as showing a heart stop. A good rule is that when the opponents have bid or shown one suit, bidding that suit ASKS for a stopper; when they've bid or shown two suits, bidding either suit SHOWS a stopper.
On lead against 3NT, partner decided against a routine 4th best lead, correctly assuming declarer would run 9 tricks if she gained the lead. Instead, partner lead the Ace of his bid suit, conventionally asking for partner to drop his highest card in the suit to unblock. Yours truly blew it; had the ten not appeared in dummy I might've worked it out but instead I signalled with the 8 and continued with the 2 under partner's King (I could've unblocked at that point as well.) I won the third trick of course with the Queen but declarer had the rest.
I'm not sure what partner would do had declarer or dummy held the Queen; I suppose at matchpoints it might save an overtrick to cash two winners anyway, and declarers have been known to bid 3NT with Qx hoping for an underlead. The auction certainly gave little hope that partner could be reached for a lead toward the AKJ9xx of hearts.
Do you and your partners know to drop your highest card under an Ace led at notrump? I'm not convinced this should apply to an unbid suit but definetely in a suit partner has bid. And the lead may be a good shot from a six card or longer suit headed by AKJ10, AKJ9, or AK109 where you have no sure side entry and cannot expect partner to contribute much.
Better bidding -- Self-splinter after transfer
Board 18: A few pairs might upgrade East's hand to a 15-17 notrump; I would want an extra ten at least for that. A five card suit is worth about 0.4 points at notrump according to real-world data compiled by the French Bridge Federation. That's about the same as a ten, and an average hand contains an Ace, a ten and a nine, all of which are short-changed slightly by the standard 4-3-2-1 point count. So East has the equivalent of an extra ten but is missing a nine and should treat the hand as a normal 14 count.
Playing a 14-16 range as is common with Precision my partner did open 1NT. Add the Jack of diamonds and it would be a routine 15-pointer. West counts 7 1/2 tricks, and at 3 points per trick, it is no stretch to hope a 1NT opener can provide the 4 1/2 needed for slam. Visualizing, partner might have a hand like
KQx Qx AKxx xxxx, only 14 points and slam is a laydown barring a quick defensive ruff. On the other hand, some of partner's values are likely to be in clubs (as with East's actual hand); even a hand like
KJx xx AKxx Axxx, with only the Ace in clubs, does not fit as well as when all of partner's values are outside clubs.
This is where a bidding trick known as the Self-Splinter can help. Responder transfers to his 6 card major and then jumps in a side suit: 1NT-2D; 2H-4C(!) As a new suit (3C) would be natural and game-forcing, there is no obvious or natural meaning for the jump to 4C, and modern bidders typically use wierd jumps to show shortages. Unlike the familiar Splinter Raise (1H-4C, for example) no tricks are gained by ruffing low cards in the short suit, as those ruffs are with long trumps that will take tricks anyway. But the splinter allows opener to judge how well the honor cards combine in the two hands. 28 hcp outside the short suit will usually produce slam (you will be missing one Queen, along with the Ace of the short suit.) With solid trumps, a side source of tricks, and sufficient controls, 26 or 27 may be enough. With the Ace opposite shortage, you will generally need more high cards; 25 outside with solid or near-solid trumps is probably enough (29 total high cards counting the Ace of the short suit.)
On the actual hands (adding a Jack to East) the bidding would proceed 1NT-2D;2H-4C; 4H-pass since AK opposite the singleton leaves too little outside. With KQx Qx AKxx xxxx, opener proceeds with Blackwood or RKCB and the excellent slam is reached. With KJx xx AKxx Axxx, opener cue-bids 4D over 4C, suggesting either no spade control or (as here) a borderline hand. With nothing extra, responder signs off at 4H. Give opener instead xxx Qx AKQxx Axx and he continues over the sign-off with a 5C cue-bid, highlighting the spade problem, and responder cue-bids 5S or simply leaps to 6H.
Defense: Ace lead at notrump
Board 7: South might open 1C or 3C -- you hate to pass with such a good suit -- but pass is the mainstream choice vulnerable, you'll get a chance to bid the clubs later. North opens 1D (lots of tricks but nowhere near enough high cards for 2C), East overcalls 1H (too strong for a weak jump overcall) and South as expected bids 2C. West would like to raise, but will partner allow for such slim values? Still, West can expect to provide a heart trick and a ruff so a raise is not out of the question. I passed, however, and North leaped to 3D. South should raise -- if North had hearts stopped, North could've rebid 3NT, the normal action with a long, running suit and a stop in the enemy suit. At our table, however, South cue-bid 3H (support? partial stopper?) and North misinterpreted the bid as showing a heart stop. A good rule is that when the opponents have bid or shown one suit, bidding that suit ASKS for a stopper; when they've bid or shown two suits, bidding either suit SHOWS a stopper.
On lead against 3NT, partner decided against a routine 4th best lead, correctly assuming declarer would run 9 tricks if she gained the lead. Instead, partner lead the Ace of his bid suit, conventionally asking for partner to drop his highest card in the suit to unblock. Yours truly blew it; had the ten not appeared in dummy I might've worked it out but instead I signalled with the 8 and continued with the 2 under partner's King (I could've unblocked at that point as well.) I won the third trick of course with the Queen but declarer had the rest.
I'm not sure what partner would do had declarer or dummy held the Queen; I suppose at matchpoints it might save an overtrick to cash two winners anyway, and declarers have been known to bid 3NT with Qx hoping for an underlead. The auction certainly gave little hope that partner could be reached for a lead toward the AKJ9xx of hearts.
Do you and your partners know to drop your highest card under an Ace led at notrump? I'm not convinced this should apply to an unbid suit but definetely in a suit partner has bid. And the lead may be a good shot from a six card or longer suit headed by AKJ10, AKJ9, or AK109 where you have no sure side entry and cannot expect partner to contribute much.
Better bidding -- Self-splinter after transfer
Board 18: A few pairs might upgrade East's hand to a 15-17 notrump; I would want an extra ten at least for that. A five card suit is worth about 0.4 points at notrump according to real-world data compiled by the French Bridge Federation. That's about the same as a ten, and an average hand contains an Ace, a ten and a nine, all of which are short-changed slightly by the standard 4-3-2-1 point count. So East has the equivalent of an extra ten but is missing a nine and should treat the hand as a normal 14 count.
Playing a 14-16 range as is common with Precision my partner did open 1NT. Add the Jack of diamonds and it would be a routine 15-pointer. West counts 7 1/2 tricks, and at 3 points per trick, it is no stretch to hope a 1NT opener can provide the 4 1/2 needed for slam. Visualizing, partner might have a hand like
KQx Qx AKxx xxxx, only 14 points and slam is a laydown barring a quick defensive ruff. On the other hand, some of partner's values are likely to be in clubs (as with East's actual hand); even a hand like
KJx xx AKxx Axxx, with only the Ace in clubs, does not fit as well as when all of partner's values are outside clubs.
This is where a bidding trick known as the Self-Splinter can help. Responder transfers to his 6 card major and then jumps in a side suit: 1NT-2D; 2H-4C(!) As a new suit (3C) would be natural and game-forcing, there is no obvious or natural meaning for the jump to 4C, and modern bidders typically use wierd jumps to show shortages. Unlike the familiar Splinter Raise (1H-4C, for example) no tricks are gained by ruffing low cards in the short suit, as those ruffs are with long trumps that will take tricks anyway. But the splinter allows opener to judge how well the honor cards combine in the two hands. 28 hcp outside the short suit will usually produce slam (you will be missing one Queen, along with the Ace of the short suit.) With solid trumps, a side source of tricks, and sufficient controls, 26 or 27 may be enough. With the Ace opposite shortage, you will generally need more high cards; 25 outside with solid or near-solid trumps is probably enough (29 total high cards counting the Ace of the short suit.)
On the actual hands (adding a Jack to East) the bidding would proceed 1NT-2D;2H-4C; 4H-pass since AK opposite the singleton leaves too little outside. With KQx Qx AKxx xxxx, opener proceeds with Blackwood or RKCB and the excellent slam is reached. With KJx xx AKxx Axxx, opener cue-bids 4D over 4C, suggesting either no spade control or (as here) a borderline hand. With nothing extra, responder signs off at 4H. Give opener instead xxx Qx AKQxx Axx and he continues over the sign-off with a 5C cue-bid, highlighting the spade problem, and responder cue-bids 5S or simply leaps to 6H.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Monday 5/2/2011
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Lots of slam today!
Board 4: South opens 1S after three passes; North shows a limit raise by way of Drury 2C, passed-hand 2NT, or a simple jump to 3S. I prefer the jump to be the sort of hand that would raise a first or second seat opener to game, generally 5 trumps, a singleton and about 7-9 hcp; a normal limit raise can use Reverse Fit Drury or the 2NT gadget. This can be played the same way as normal Jacoby except that opener's 3S rebid is a sign-off while 3NT shows 16+.
After the raise, South counts only 3 losers and can reasonably hope responder can cover two of those. Blackwood or RKCB will confirm partner has an Ace, but are there two heart losers? There are two basic approaches here: cue-bid 4C, responder bids 4D, then opener retreats to 4S suggesting no heart control. As responder lacks control also, the bidding dies at the safe 4S game. The other approach is to gamble that either partner controls hearts or the opening leader will not have the Ace; 4NT avoids telling the defense what to lead, although there may be a negative inference from East's failure to double a 5D response. 6 pairs stopped at 4S; 3 reached the unlovely contract of 5S, probably by bidding 4NT and then signing off despite the combined holding of 3 Aces; 4 went down at slam. I'm inclined to cue-bid such hands, and that would clearly be best at a team game, but I had no complaint with partner's gamble at matchpoints.
Board 8: North's type of hand has always been a routine 1H opener for me -- 13 Goren points with 2 quick tricks -- but I'm sure several passed for lack of 12 hcp. South can start with a strong jump to 2S if the style does not forbid a side suit, but most American authorities decry such bidding without, as far as I can tell, offering any reasons. Anyway most Souths likely respond 1S, North rebids 2C and South can show his game-forcing two-suiter with a 3D jump shift. 2D would commonly be played as artificial, the 4th Suit Forcing convention, and a subsequent diamond rebid risks being passed if the partnership lacks clear agreements on the follow-up bids after 4SF. South can describe his shape with a leap to 4S, suggesting exactly 3 spades (since no raise the previous round), 5 hearts and 4 clubs, hence no more than 1 diamond. The jump would also suggest minimum values since it can be passed. Now South bids 4NT -- no two-loser suit to worry about this time -- and learns of two Aces or, better, 3 Key cards. The RCKB reply allows South to bid 7S with confidence (not 7NT, unless you can ask partner whether he has the Jack of diamonds!) Blackwood bidders must bid 5NT, confirming all the Aces, and North, looking at the King of trumps, may well bid 7 rather than simply show 1 King. It is crucial to realize that the 5NT bid is primarily to inform partner all the Aces or Key cards are held and invite a grand slam, rather than demanding a robotic response.
No pairs reached the grand; one tried 6NT, thinking to outscore 6S, but when all the Aces are held, the major suit actually gives you a better shot at +1010 vs. +990 in notrump. Consider 6NT when you have extra high cards or side suit tricks but are missing one Ace.
Declarer wins the opening heart lead, cashes the Ace and King of trumps (noting the 3-1 split), crosses to the King of clubs, Ace of diamonds and a diamond ruff, then pitch a diamond on the Ace of clubs, finally ruff a heart and pull the last trump. The diamonds are likely to split 4-3 but no reason to bank on that or play too many rounds of a side suit at the risk of West ruffing.
Board 18: East opens either 1C or 1S. The normal method with 6-5 is to open the longer suit and rebid the other twice; this works especially well with clubs and spades unless the opponents preempt in a red suit. A question I ask myself is, if I open 1C, will I be willing to bid the spades for the first time at the four level? I'd say yes on this hand but can't criticize anyone who opened 1S.
South might preempt 3D at any other vulnerability, or 2D over 1C, but the unappealing 2272 pattern argues for a pass over 1S. Assuming 1S-pass, West makes a forcing raise, with Jacoby 2NT being the popular style. North, despite the vulnerability, leaps to 4H; this might net -800 but in that case E/W likely have a slam. At any other vulnerability I'd bid 5H to take away Blackwood, but -1100 is worse than any slam. East bids 4NT and then 6S over partner's one-Ace reply.
What does South lead? Partner's preempt cannot be viewed as primarily lead directing, and at matchpoints there is always an urge to cash an Ace to prevent an overtrick. Sometimes that lead beats the slam (they may have two quick losers in the suit, such as board 4) and sometimes it's the only lead for declarer to make, but I think it's usually the right choice. (Note to Ace from AK leaders -- that agreement should not apply at the five level or higher, but few realize that or have discussed it with partner.) The Blackwood sequence rules out partner having a second Ace, and if partner actually has 8 hearts as the vulnerability suggests the opponents cannot have a heart loser. Cashing the Ace of diamonds saves several mathcpoints but the slam is unbeatable.
If East opens 1C, South jumps to 2D, West bids 2S, North still leaps to 4H and the result should still be 6S making 6. One brave North escaped for -800 at 5H doubled; the risk with such a bid is that partner will have some odd trick that beats slam but does you no good as declarer. Today the gamble pays off, but noting that several pairs did not even reach slam emphasizes the risk.
Board 19: West's hand is a good weak two bid but nowhere near good enough for a 1S opening when you consider the singleton queen and lack of defensive strength. Some players find reasons not to open hands like this with 2S, but it cannot be wining tactics to pass a 6 card major headed by KQJ. North passes his quacky 11 count and East raises to 4S.
The folly of opening 1S can be seen in the three pairs that went down in 6S. Another risk is partner doubling the opponents expecting your opening bid to provide some defense. The age-old rules of subtracting one point from an Aceless hand and for an unguarded honor and having two quick tricks in borderline cases (when considering an opening bid) will keep you out of such disasters. I open plenty of 11 hcp and Rule of 20 hands -- when my points are Aces and Kings, such as Board 8.
At our table West opened 1S, East employed Jacoby 2NT despite only 3 trumps, and West showed a singleton club, then attempted to sign off by jumping to 4S over East's 3D control bid. East was too delighted with the shortness in clubs to be deterred; no tricks are gained by ruffing in the long trump hand but the 3C bid suggests all the honors are combining well. Give West the King of diamonds instead of the Jack and the useless Queen of clubs and slam is cold. I led the Ace of clubs and the slam is doomed as the cards lie; declarer can guess to finesse in hearts but the percentages favor trying for the drop, and a diamond must be lost in any case.
Lots of slam today!
Board 4: South opens 1S after three passes; North shows a limit raise by way of Drury 2C, passed-hand 2NT, or a simple jump to 3S. I prefer the jump to be the sort of hand that would raise a first or second seat opener to game, generally 5 trumps, a singleton and about 7-9 hcp; a normal limit raise can use Reverse Fit Drury or the 2NT gadget. This can be played the same way as normal Jacoby except that opener's 3S rebid is a sign-off while 3NT shows 16+.
After the raise, South counts only 3 losers and can reasonably hope responder can cover two of those. Blackwood or RKCB will confirm partner has an Ace, but are there two heart losers? There are two basic approaches here: cue-bid 4C, responder bids 4D, then opener retreats to 4S suggesting no heart control. As responder lacks control also, the bidding dies at the safe 4S game. The other approach is to gamble that either partner controls hearts or the opening leader will not have the Ace; 4NT avoids telling the defense what to lead, although there may be a negative inference from East's failure to double a 5D response. 6 pairs stopped at 4S; 3 reached the unlovely contract of 5S, probably by bidding 4NT and then signing off despite the combined holding of 3 Aces; 4 went down at slam. I'm inclined to cue-bid such hands, and that would clearly be best at a team game, but I had no complaint with partner's gamble at matchpoints.
Board 8: North's type of hand has always been a routine 1H opener for me -- 13 Goren points with 2 quick tricks -- but I'm sure several passed for lack of 12 hcp. South can start with a strong jump to 2S if the style does not forbid a side suit, but most American authorities decry such bidding without, as far as I can tell, offering any reasons. Anyway most Souths likely respond 1S, North rebids 2C and South can show his game-forcing two-suiter with a 3D jump shift. 2D would commonly be played as artificial, the 4th Suit Forcing convention, and a subsequent diamond rebid risks being passed if the partnership lacks clear agreements on the follow-up bids after 4SF. South can describe his shape with a leap to 4S, suggesting exactly 3 spades (since no raise the previous round), 5 hearts and 4 clubs, hence no more than 1 diamond. The jump would also suggest minimum values since it can be passed. Now South bids 4NT -- no two-loser suit to worry about this time -- and learns of two Aces or, better, 3 Key cards. The RCKB reply allows South to bid 7S with confidence (not 7NT, unless you can ask partner whether he has the Jack of diamonds!) Blackwood bidders must bid 5NT, confirming all the Aces, and North, looking at the King of trumps, may well bid 7 rather than simply show 1 King. It is crucial to realize that the 5NT bid is primarily to inform partner all the Aces or Key cards are held and invite a grand slam, rather than demanding a robotic response.
No pairs reached the grand; one tried 6NT, thinking to outscore 6S, but when all the Aces are held, the major suit actually gives you a better shot at +1010 vs. +990 in notrump. Consider 6NT when you have extra high cards or side suit tricks but are missing one Ace.
Declarer wins the opening heart lead, cashes the Ace and King of trumps (noting the 3-1 split), crosses to the King of clubs, Ace of diamonds and a diamond ruff, then pitch a diamond on the Ace of clubs, finally ruff a heart and pull the last trump. The diamonds are likely to split 4-3 but no reason to bank on that or play too many rounds of a side suit at the risk of West ruffing.
Board 18: East opens either 1C or 1S. The normal method with 6-5 is to open the longer suit and rebid the other twice; this works especially well with clubs and spades unless the opponents preempt in a red suit. A question I ask myself is, if I open 1C, will I be willing to bid the spades for the first time at the four level? I'd say yes on this hand but can't criticize anyone who opened 1S.
South might preempt 3D at any other vulnerability, or 2D over 1C, but the unappealing 2272 pattern argues for a pass over 1S. Assuming 1S-pass, West makes a forcing raise, with Jacoby 2NT being the popular style. North, despite the vulnerability, leaps to 4H; this might net -800 but in that case E/W likely have a slam. At any other vulnerability I'd bid 5H to take away Blackwood, but -1100 is worse than any slam. East bids 4NT and then 6S over partner's one-Ace reply.
What does South lead? Partner's preempt cannot be viewed as primarily lead directing, and at matchpoints there is always an urge to cash an Ace to prevent an overtrick. Sometimes that lead beats the slam (they may have two quick losers in the suit, such as board 4) and sometimes it's the only lead for declarer to make, but I think it's usually the right choice. (Note to Ace from AK leaders -- that agreement should not apply at the five level or higher, but few realize that or have discussed it with partner.) The Blackwood sequence rules out partner having a second Ace, and if partner actually has 8 hearts as the vulnerability suggests the opponents cannot have a heart loser. Cashing the Ace of diamonds saves several mathcpoints but the slam is unbeatable.
If East opens 1C, South jumps to 2D, West bids 2S, North still leaps to 4H and the result should still be 6S making 6. One brave North escaped for -800 at 5H doubled; the risk with such a bid is that partner will have some odd trick that beats slam but does you no good as declarer. Today the gamble pays off, but noting that several pairs did not even reach slam emphasizes the risk.
Board 19: West's hand is a good weak two bid but nowhere near good enough for a 1S opening when you consider the singleton queen and lack of defensive strength. Some players find reasons not to open hands like this with 2S, but it cannot be wining tactics to pass a 6 card major headed by KQJ. North passes his quacky 11 count and East raises to 4S.
The folly of opening 1S can be seen in the three pairs that went down in 6S. Another risk is partner doubling the opponents expecting your opening bid to provide some defense. The age-old rules of subtracting one point from an Aceless hand and for an unguarded honor and having two quick tricks in borderline cases (when considering an opening bid) will keep you out of such disasters. I open plenty of 11 hcp and Rule of 20 hands -- when my points are Aces and Kings, such as Board 8.
At our table West opened 1S, East employed Jacoby 2NT despite only 3 trumps, and West showed a singleton club, then attempted to sign off by jumping to 4S over East's 3D control bid. East was too delighted with the shortness in clubs to be deterred; no tricks are gained by ruffing in the long trump hand but the 3C bid suggests all the honors are combining well. Give West the King of diamonds instead of the Jack and the useless Queen of clubs and slam is cold. I led the Ace of clubs and the slam is doomed as the cards lie; declarer can guess to finesse in hearts but the percentages favor trying for the drop, and a diamond must be lost in any case.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Sunday 5/1/2011
Right-click here for hands.
Competition Corner
Board 3: A complex deal. South opens 1C, West passes and North can choose pass, 1S or a club raise (2C or 3C depending on style.) Four points and a singleton qualifies for a minimum Goren response, and there is some chance for game in spades; what sort of hand would partner need? Consider AQxx xx xx AKQxx, only 19 combined hcp but game is excellent. Put the honors in clubs and I'd vote for a raise but here I think 1S is a normal action. East can double to show more or less opening bid values and both red suits. South has an excellent hand capable of producing 7 tricks; if partner can add 2 3NT could make, but partner needs two Aces or an Ace and some help in whatever suit they lead. The way to show a strong hand as South is to redouble but I think 16 hcp is a bit light for that action; South can pass the takoeut double and see what develops. West bids 2H and North can compete to 3C -- a lot of bidding on 4 hcp, but the goal is to drive the opponents off the preferred two level. With five losers, East suspects there may be game in hearts but should realize partner's 2H was forced and may be quite weak. Double would show extra strength but here 3H looks reasonable. East should have some distributional reason for volunteering the three level, here it's the singleton club. The raise allows South to picture North's singleton heart; 3NT or 5C could make, while 3H rates to be down one on a club lead and spade switch. If you don't want to gamble 3NT, 4C is a rasonable bid since you would welcome the chance to double 4H. In practice 5C is likely to make when the West leads a heart rather than a diamond and the King of spades provides a discard for a diamond loser.
Slam-a-rama
Board 29: North opens 1D; South has the basic requirment for a strong jump shift -- immeidate slam interest -- but the poor suit argues for a simple 1S response. North's hand is borderline but a jump to 3S is justified. South bids 4NT, Blackwood or RKCB, and learns of 2 Aces or 3 Key cards, and in the latter case can follow up with a Queen asking bid. Playing standard RKCB, North replies 5C (0 or 3 Key cards, and 0 is unlikely given the jump), South bids 5D as a Queen ask, and North bids 5S if playing 1st step = no, 2nd step = yes, or 5NT playing "specific kings" where a new suit would show that King plus the Queen of trumps while 5S (the agreed suit) would deny the Queen; 5NT therefore shows the Queen but no side King. South can make a grand slam try by cue-bidding 6C or 6D, probably the latter is best sicne it's in partner's suit. North cannot be sure of 13 tricks and should sign off at 6S. (With AQxxx of diamonds, 7S would be excellent.) 12 or 13 tricks are made depending on how South guesses the diamonds; I pulled trumps and ran the clubs, noted that West had one more than East, suggesting that East might have more diamonds, but along the way East pitched a diamond so I guessed West for the Queen.
Better Bidding -- 1H or 2C ?
Board 30: South has a powerhouse; is this a 2C opener? I don't think it's a close decision -- South has more quick tricks (5) than losers (4), a Goren 22 count (20 hcp = 2 for the singleton, no extra for AK doubleton), a good 6 card major and 20+ hcp. I think you will miss a lot of slams not opening such hands 2C. Today, however, no game is makeable and it may be hard to stop in a part-score after 2C. "Steps" bidders probably have the best chance with a possible auction of 2C-2D (0-3 hcp); 2H-2S; 3H-pass. The layout is awkward for my preferred 2H bust style: 2C-2H (0-3, but North might optimistically upgrade for his 6 card major), and South would have to guess to pass for a plus score, as 3H would be forcing one more round. 2D waiting style: 2C-2D; 2H-3C (second negative)-3H pass is possible, but again North is likely to bid a forward going 2S rather than the discouraging 3C. It's simply bad luck when each player has a singleton in partner's six-card major. Don't ask how we got to 6C, mistakes happen :).
Give North any of the Ace of spades, Queen of hearts, or King or Queen of clubs and 4H is likely to make.
Competition Corner
Board 3: A complex deal. South opens 1C, West passes and North can choose pass, 1S or a club raise (2C or 3C depending on style.) Four points and a singleton qualifies for a minimum Goren response, and there is some chance for game in spades; what sort of hand would partner need? Consider AQxx xx xx AKQxx, only 19 combined hcp but game is excellent. Put the honors in clubs and I'd vote for a raise but here I think 1S is a normal action. East can double to show more or less opening bid values and both red suits. South has an excellent hand capable of producing 7 tricks; if partner can add 2 3NT could make, but partner needs two Aces or an Ace and some help in whatever suit they lead. The way to show a strong hand as South is to redouble but I think 16 hcp is a bit light for that action; South can pass the takoeut double and see what develops. West bids 2H and North can compete to 3C -- a lot of bidding on 4 hcp, but the goal is to drive the opponents off the preferred two level. With five losers, East suspects there may be game in hearts but should realize partner's 2H was forced and may be quite weak. Double would show extra strength but here 3H looks reasonable. East should have some distributional reason for volunteering the three level, here it's the singleton club. The raise allows South to picture North's singleton heart; 3NT or 5C could make, while 3H rates to be down one on a club lead and spade switch. If you don't want to gamble 3NT, 4C is a rasonable bid since you would welcome the chance to double 4H. In practice 5C is likely to make when the West leads a heart rather than a diamond and the King of spades provides a discard for a diamond loser.
Slam-a-rama
Board 29: North opens 1D; South has the basic requirment for a strong jump shift -- immeidate slam interest -- but the poor suit argues for a simple 1S response. North's hand is borderline but a jump to 3S is justified. South bids 4NT, Blackwood or RKCB, and learns of 2 Aces or 3 Key cards, and in the latter case can follow up with a Queen asking bid. Playing standard RKCB, North replies 5C (0 or 3 Key cards, and 0 is unlikely given the jump), South bids 5D as a Queen ask, and North bids 5S if playing 1st step = no, 2nd step = yes, or 5NT playing "specific kings" where a new suit would show that King plus the Queen of trumps while 5S (the agreed suit) would deny the Queen; 5NT therefore shows the Queen but no side King. South can make a grand slam try by cue-bidding 6C or 6D, probably the latter is best sicne it's in partner's suit. North cannot be sure of 13 tricks and should sign off at 6S. (With AQxxx of diamonds, 7S would be excellent.) 12 or 13 tricks are made depending on how South guesses the diamonds; I pulled trumps and ran the clubs, noted that West had one more than East, suggesting that East might have more diamonds, but along the way East pitched a diamond so I guessed West for the Queen.
Better Bidding -- 1H or 2C ?
Board 30: South has a powerhouse; is this a 2C opener? I don't think it's a close decision -- South has more quick tricks (5) than losers (4), a Goren 22 count (20 hcp = 2 for the singleton, no extra for AK doubleton), a good 6 card major and 20+ hcp. I think you will miss a lot of slams not opening such hands 2C. Today, however, no game is makeable and it may be hard to stop in a part-score after 2C. "Steps" bidders probably have the best chance with a possible auction of 2C-2D (0-3 hcp); 2H-2S; 3H-pass. The layout is awkward for my preferred 2H bust style: 2C-2H (0-3, but North might optimistically upgrade for his 6 card major), and South would have to guess to pass for a plus score, as 3H would be forcing one more round. 2D waiting style: 2C-2D; 2H-3C (second negative)-3H pass is possible, but again North is likely to bid a forward going 2S rather than the discouraging 3C. It's simply bad luck when each player has a singleton in partner's six-card major. Don't ask how we got to 6C, mistakes happen :).
Give North any of the Ace of spades, Queen of hearts, or King or Queen of clubs and 4H is likely to make.
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