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.