Sunday, September 25th 2011

No hand records for Swiss teams.

No one bid a slam in any of our 28 boards, but two hands had potential:

Board 22: West picks up KJ AK AKJ10xx A10 and hears passes from East and South. Two clubs looks right, planning to rebid either in the diamond suit or notrump. East responds with x Q10xxx 9xxx Qxx. This qualifies for 2D negative (0-7), waiting (0+) or semi-positive (4+) or a "Steps" 2H response (4-6). (Some play 2D promises an Ace or King, so they would bid 2H = bust.) After a negative or waiting 2D or 2H, I think West must leap to 3NT -- too much chance of missing game if you rebid 3D (the bidding may miss 3NT) or 2NT (not forcing.)  This is likely to end the bidding.

After a forward-going 2D (4+) or 2H (4-6), West can rebid 2NT, an unlimited bid over these game-forcing responses. Stayman and transfers are on since the first two bids were artificial, so East shows the hearts with a 3D transfer. West bids 3H as requested and East must rebid 3NT despite the spade singleton --can't afford to carry the bidding any higher. From West's perspective, slam requires no diamond loser and two more tricks from partner; East's actual hand is excellent but without the big diamond fit 12 tricks are unlikely and passing 3NT looks reasonable, especially vulnerable at IMPs. If West does decide to invite slam, how? 4D is certainly a slam try, but it is apt to sound like a cue-bid in support of hearts, since West originally bid notrump. That leaves a simple 4NT raise as a quantitative slam try, which East is sure to pass with only two Queens and no knowledge of the big diamond fit.

What if West bids diamonds rather than notrump? 2C-2D (4+); 3D-? Should East raise or bid his hearts? I'd vote for the raise, particularly at IMPs where +600 or +920 at diamonds is no great loss compared to +620 or +980 at hearts. Now West can be optimistic about slam and bid 4NT followed by 6D when partner shows zero key cards or Aces.

Board 24: West picks up A10xx AKJ10xx Ax A as dealer, no one vulnerable. Game and slam chances look lively, and a strong 2C looks like a good start. You might not be passed out at 1H but I think it would be hard to portray a hand of this power after that opening. East holds x Q9xx xxx Q10xxx and responds in the same style as #22: 2D negative (0-7), waiting (0+), semi-positive (4+), or 2H steps (4-6) or bust (no Ace or King.) Over any 2D response West bids 2H and East raises. It is a key principle here that, when raising, East should bid 4H with zero controls: no ace, King or singleton. So East's 3H promises at least one control (the singeton spade on today's hand.)

West can assume no heart loser and one or two high card winners, but that does not appear to cover his four potential no-trump losers. With all the key cards, partner is not likely to cue-bid, but West may as well bid 3S to at least suggest slam. East cannot be sure how much the stiff spade is worth and likely retreats to 4H. West can try 5C -- perhaps East has the King of diamonds to cue-bid. No such luck, and East's 5H likely ends the bidding.

To reach slam, I think East must show West his singleton, such as with a splinter raise. After 2C-2D; 2H, East cannot have a very good spade suit (he would've responded 2S initially) and any raged suit can simply be bid and rebid, so a jump to 3S ought logically be a raise, so the splinter interpretation is reasonable -- but don't try this without prior discussion! Is East's hand worth 3S? I'm tempted to say no with bare minimum values and no Ace or King, but splinters can be most useful on minimal hands which could be worth a couple of extra tricks if partner can use the ruffing value.

Afer 2C-2D; 2H-3S, West trots out 4NT followed by 5NT simply to inform partner he has all the key cards or Aces, but East reveals zero Kings and the biddnig ends at 6H. Declarer counts nine tricks plus two spade ruffs; he can try for a third ruff or set up a long club for his 12th trick. I set up a club (the King fell on the third round of the suit) but on the layout give here it looks simple enough to ruff three times: win the diamond lead, Ace of spades, ruff a spade low, club to hand, ruff a spade high, trump to hand, ruff a spade high, ruff a club high, pull trumps and concede a diamond. I was able to make all 13 tricks (Ace of sapdes, two ruffs, six trumps, Ace of diamonds and three club tricks) at 4H for a not very important 1 IMP gain.