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.
No comments:
Post a Comment