Friday, June 24, 2011

Friday, June 24th 2011

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15 and 15 -- Board 4: North opens 1NT (15-17) and South smells slam -- but with at most 32 hcp, and that unlikely, 6NT is apt to be marginal at best. An 8 or 9 card minor fit would have reasonable prospects, but most pairs lack a method to find such a fit. I'd say South is light even for a 4NT quantitative invitation, but if it is agreed that opener can bid a 4 card minor over that (not a Blackwood reply!) 4NT has some appeal. Several pairs stopped at 3NT or 4NT.

An old gadget bid was 2S as minor suit Stayman, but the frequency of use is rather low. Instead, I suggest ordinary Stayman (2C) by responder, followed by a game-forcing 3D (the clubs are too weak for slam), and then one more push, raising opener's 3NT to 4NT, invitational. (The rule is that 4NT as a raise of notrump is not Blackowod or RKCB when no suit has been agreed.) Opener passes 4NT with his flat minimum.

On lead, East starts with the Queen of hearts; West should overtake the second heart to avoid blocking the suit. Every declarer managed the obvious ten tricks.


Getting to 3NT -- Board 11: East opens 2C in 4th seat and West responds 2D, waiting or "non-bust". East's practical rebid is 2NT -- this reduces the chance of getting to a minor suit slam, but 3D crowds the bidding and makes it dfficult to reach 3NT. West checks for a major with Stayman (3C) and then bids 3NT. With a hand 26 hcp or so East could continue with 4D, showing a genuine suit and slam interest, but here 3NT is enough. South leads his fourth-best heart, declarer winning with the ten. Next come two rounds of diamonds to see if the suit is running, then the King of spades to set up a tenth trick. North wins and likely returns a heart, and declarer claims 11 tricks. Note the importance of setting up tricks whiile dummy still has an entry (the Queen of clubs.)

Poor Game -- Board 15: South opens 1D, North responds 1S and South rebids 1NT. North should deduct a point for no Ace and either pass or rebid 2S according to style -- does South guarantee at least two spades for the notrump rebid, or might he have a singleton? Most pairs pushed on to game, however, despite a mere 23 combined hcp and no fit. West leads the Jack of hearts and South cannot find a ninth trick.

Five card support -- Board 25: North opens 1S and South has a hand type you won't find in a textbook -- five trumps but no singleton. The value of South's hand depends on North's shape -- the trumps will trip over each other if North is 5332, but will be terrific if North has a second suit. 10 hcp is to much for a preemptive 4S raise, so the choices are an invitational 3S (feels like an underbid), Jacoby 2NT (feels like an overbid), or something "creative". Overall I think 2NT is best, and when North reveals his short suit (3H) South is worth a 4C cue-bid. (North might instead leap to 4C to show his two-suiter, but with his excellent controls 3H seems right.) North bids 4H to show the void -- 4D is cheaper, but how will you show the void over partner's 4NT? With no diamond control, South retreats to 4S but now North can bid 4NT and trust South to ignore the Ace of hearts. South shows 2 key cards and North bids the excellent slam. The clubs can be set up via ruffs for 13 tricks.

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