Friday, July 15th 2011

Rght-click here for hands

No obvious game -- Board 9: East opens 1D or 1C -- the usual rule is to open 1D with 4-4, but that assumes you plan to show both minors. With a balanced hand, I would open the better suit, 1C, planning to rebid in notrump. South jumps to 2H, weak. West, with 16 hcp, has an awkward hand -- double shows the four card spade suit, but it may be difficult to show the strength later. Still, a negative double is the normal action as either 2S or 3D would strongly suggest a five card suit. North doesn't like his flat shape but with a known 9 card fit, favorable vulnerability and a few values 3H is the normal action, increasing the pressure on E/W. This silences East, and West has no obvious action after South's pass. Choices include a do-something double, if that would not be taken as pure penalty; guessing to bid some number of spades, diamonds or clubs; or a do-something cue-bid. West really needs East's help here and, as a pass of 4H is inconceivable opposite any but a raw beginner, that was my choice. I failed to consider the repeat double and that is probably the best option with this relatively balanced hand. Had East opened 1D, it would now be easy to bid clubs, and West would correct to the better combined minor suit holding, but on today's hand 3NT, 5C and 5D are all hopeless with the losing finesses in spades and diamonds.

Conditions, however, are perfect for a 4-3 spade fit -- a strong trump suit (5 of the top 6 between the two hands), the short trump hand being short in the enemy suit, and plenty of tricks on the side. E/W lose one spade, one heart and one diamond. However, it is not easy for either East or West to recognize the strong suit, so it's hard to see reaching spades on anything but a guess.

Not enough for slam -- Board 19: (no hand records from this point on): West opens Qxx A10xx AQ10x 10x in second seat and East has visions of slam with AKx QJx Kx KJ9xx . A strong 3C bid followed by 3NT would be a fair description, but we happened to be playing that as a splinter; others, of course, play weak jump shifts; and many would not consider the suit strong enough for a jump. 2C is the normal response, forcing to either 2NT or 3NT according to style. Many would rebid 2NT with West's balanced minimum but this wastes bidding room; 2H is more convenient and should not show reversing values or shape since West is not allowed to open 1H with 4-4 in the red suits. East, too strong to settle for 3NT at thsi point, keeps the bidding rolling with 2S. This may be the "Fourth Suit Forcing" gadget, or just a mild distortion. Either way, it should create a game force -- 2C over 1D, followed by a major suit rebid, should promise full opening bid values even if 2C itself did not. West limits his hand with 2NT. At this point East should realize that no fit has been found, and 17 plus 12 to 14 adds up to at most 31 hcp -- not enough for slam lacking a fit. East should simply raise to 3NT and give up on slam.

If the bidding starts 1D-2C-2NT, East has a problem -- there may still be a fit in clubs. East can force the bidding with 3S, but if opener is allowed to skip over a major to rebid 2NT, there's too much risk of a raise and a confusing auction afterwards. Best is an invitational jump to 4NT. In my book Gerber and Quantitative 4NT go hand-in-hand: Gerber is defined as a Jump Over Notrump Only (JONTO) and where Gerber is available, 4NT is invitational, not Blackwood. West passes with his minimum. West likely takes 10 tricks at notrump.

Positive Response Helps Slam Bidding -- Board 29: North and South have shapely hands, but are likely to stay out of the bidding bieng vulnerable. East opens 2C and West respoonds acccording to style -- natural, slam-positive 2H (generally 8+ hcp and KQxxx or better suit), "Steps" 2S (7-9 hcp) or "Replacement" 2NT -- when 2H shows a bust, 2NT shows a positive response in hearts. Any of these bids should led to slam with East having a fit and excleent controls (3 Aces and 3 Kings.) A possible auction might be 2C-2H-3H-3NT (waiting, nothing to cue-bid)-4NT (RKCB)-5D (one key card)-6H (missing a key card, but West must have a good suit.)

Some prefer to bid 2D "automatically", a style that in my opinion makes it hard for responder to enlist opener's help looking for slam. Opener rebids 2NT, and responder transfers to hearts. But how to proceed over opener's 3H? Responder must choose a brute force bid such as 4NT or 5H, risking that the defense can cash two winners in some suit. The positive response puts opener in the driver's seat.

North, with QJ98xxx J10x -- 9xx may jam the bidding with a 3S opening preempt. I believe such weak hands are not generally very effective as preempts, and vulnerable it is certainly risky, but anytime you force the enemy to start exchanging information at the four level you have a chance to win the board. The void, at least, makes action more attractive than a sterile 7222 shape.

The preempt pressures East -- bid the likely 3NT game and risk missing a slam (partner will never guess you are this strong), or double and rebid notrump? That will have to be 4NT, which partner is apt to take as some form of Blackwood, and in any case may be too high if partner is weak. Credit the preemptor with, say, 7 hcp; with East's 22 that leaves 11 out, and partner might have half of those, 5-6 points. Not enough for slam, so 3NT looks to be the practical bid. West transfers to hearts, but that still does not reveal any strength and 4H by East looks to be the normal spot. 4H West was the popular contract at our club, perhaps following a takeout double by East.