Wednesday, January 11th 2012

Right-click here for hands.

Board 10: East opens 2D and South must pass with his poor, aceless 9 count despite good shape. West has five-card support, but the losers will be tripping over each other; don't believe the Law of Total Tricks will protect you when you have no points and no singletons or voids. A raise to 3D is the most West can bid vulnerable. North has a prime 18 count and starts with a double. South must show life, not meekly bid 3S. A leap to 4S or a 4D cue-bid is in order. The only problem with the cue-bid is that it could be "pick a major" or simply a strong hand -- and North wants to know which slam to bid! Experts might try a 5NT "pick a slam" bid, but it could be difficult to land in the proper fit. I guess North can pass the buck back with 5D (partner won't pass) and raise South's 5S to 6. No one reached slam, but one earned the equivlanet hammering 5D for 1400. Seven side suit losers should hardly have surprised West.

Board 11: West opens 1H and, despite the void in partner's suit, East should be thinking slam. However, he'll need some help in diamonds. Ordinary Blackwood won't help -- East has three first-round controls, and even if partner has two Aces he might have no diamonds. East can start with a strong jump shift (3D) and rebid the diamonds -- partner will recognize the King or Queen as a valuable card. West rebids his hearts over 3D and can proceed with Blackwood or RKCB over 4D.

Not playing strong jumps, East starts with 2D and West shows a good hand by reversing to 2S. (I recommend that opener's 2H rebid here not promise any extra length; it's the normal bid on any minimum range hand unsuitable for 2NT. 2S, 3C, 3D or 3H all show extra values, forcing to game if the 2D bid was standard.) The 2S creates a game force, so East can rebid 3D with no fear of being passed. West continues with 3H and East persists with 4D, still forcing! West can now bid 4NT (Blackwood or RKCB for diamonds) and bid 6D over East's 2 key card response. Seven can't be reached unless East can be certain of the Kx support -- with 10 trumps, the suit will come in at least 90% of the time, but on this bidding West might have the stiff King, or East might have only seven diamonds.