Friday, May 20th 2011

Right-click here for hands.

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.