Wednesday, August 17th 2011

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Board 3: South opens a maximum 15-17 1NT. West considers a leap to 3C, but vulnerable vs. not settles for 2C. North counts six losers, and at 3 points a trick partner may well provide 5 cover cads, so slam is a distinct possiblilty. It is somewhat unlikely that hearts will provide more tricks than spades; you won't need ruffs to set up the spade suit, and there are few minor suit losers to pitch, so North can simply force to game with 3S. (To check on a heart fit North could bid 3C, cue-bidding the overcaller's suit as Stayman, and follow with 3S if South replies 3D.) South has a spade fit and excellent controls, and so bids 4C as a slam try "on the way" to 4S. (Having opened 1NT, South would not be arguing about the trump suit at the four level; with only 2 spades South would retreat to 3NT.) North cue-bids 4H, confirming more than mere game interest, and South proceeds with 4NT, with the bidding ending in 6S. Declarer counts 6 spade winners, 2 hearts, 2 diamonds and a club, one trick short; running the Queen of hearts doesn't gain even if West covers. To score another heart trick, play low toward the Jack or even the Queen, preserving chances to drop the ten or pick up a singleton or doubleton King. It may be possible to ruff four times in hand, but that requires taking two heart winners before pulling trumps, which seems to require good luck in hearts anyway. I'd win the club lead and try a low heart to the Jack immediately; East wins and returns another club. North ruffs, spade to dummy (seeing the bad break), finish pulling trumps, then Queen and Ace of hearts. Hearts split 3-3 to provide declarer's 12th trick.

Board 5: North opens 1H, and East has enough to overcall 2D. West thinks slam, but the Kx of hearts looks exposed; perhaps partner can support spades? A 2S bid is risky if it isn't forcing; experts favor a 3S "fit jump", but my usual style is a simple 2S forcing. East rebids 2NT to show his stopper, which relieves West's concern about the Kx of hearts (whether East has the Ace or Qxx), so West can leap to 4D. An earlier 4D would've been preemptive in most styles, but the delayed sequence should be seen as a forcing slam try. East cue-bids 4H and West continues with 4NT, landing in 6D. East pulls trumps in one round and ruffs a heart and a club in dummy for an easy 12 tricks and a top board.

Board 19:  South can open 1S or 1NT; with 5 in one major and only 2 in the other, I generally open the major, but 1NT will often work well. (This is especially true with exactly 16 hcp: passing 1NT may catch partner with 10, while raising to 2NT may find him with 6.) Over 1S, West overcalls his good club suit. North has five trumps and two doubletons -- not classic, but 4S at this vulnerability seems worthwhile.

East was hoping to show his good hearts before supporting West's clubs, but 4S makes that impossible. The ehart suit and spade singleton rate to be useful to partner, so East tries 5C, which should end the bidding. 12 tricks are easy when the club suit splits 3-2. A misguided 5S call from South risks chasing E/W into a slam.