Sunday, February 12th 2012

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Board 12: West deals and opens 2C. East has a straightforward positive response in diamonds (3D). Any other bid, such as 2D waiting, risks missing slam when you cannot portray such a good hand later. For those who use step responses, East bids 2S to show 7-9 hcp; there should be time to bid the diamonds later. Over 3D, West bids 3NT, suggesting a balanced 22 or more; the bid is unlimited and forcing -- a positive response should be treated as forcing to at least 4 hearts. That gives both players some time to describe their hands. 4C would suggest that West was weak in one of the majors, perhaps with a singleton. East raises 3NT to 4NT with his minimum (no point in mentioning the anemic hearts, you wouldn't want to play slam in such a poor suit); a sound principle is that "notrump over notrump" is never Ace-asking, except when responder makes a strong jump shift and follows immediately with 4NT -- that bid always asks about Aces, or key cards for responder's suit, regardless of opener's rebid.

It looks like an easy raise to 6NT -- opener has 24 hcp, not 22, and either clubs or diamonds should provide the necessary tricks. But partner's bidding suggests no outside entry -- with AKxxx in diamonds and the King of clubs on the side, responder would bid 6NT himself. The clubs may need some work to set up. 6D would be a thoughtful bid.

At 6NT, West can count four major suit winners, at least three diamonds, and at least two clubs after losing a trick to the King. So declarer must find three more tricks. If diamonds split 3-3 the suit can be run and the club finesse attempted, but more club tricks will be needed. (Declarer doesn't know the Jack of spades will provide a trick; it would be foolish to cash the AK of spades before playing on clubs.) Win the opening lead (probably the ten of spades), cash the Queen of diamonds, overtake the Jack, cash the last high diamond, finesse the Queen of clubs, and finally play the Ace and pray. The King falls and declarer gives up to the ten of clubs before claiming.

Our opponents reached 6C after a bidding mistake -- East replied 2D waiting, and tried to follow with a natural 3D. But the agreement was "cheapest minor = 2nd negative" and West was afraid to bid 3NT with no help in diamonds. Over 4C, East leaped to 6C but admitted 6NT was probably a better shot. Declarer tried to play clubs out of her hand and lost tricks to both the King and ten. I really hate "2D waiting" as a response scheme; I'd rather play any of 2D negative (0-7), 2H bust (so 2D shows some values), or step responses (high cards please, not controls.) The "roaming 2nd negative" is a real pain when opener rebids 3C or 3D rather than the expected 2H, 2S or 2NT.

Board 14: East opens a weak 2S. South doubles as his 19 hcp is too strong for a simple 2NT (15-18, same as 1NT over 1 of a suit.) West should raise to 3S! No high cards but three trumps and a singleton; West does not expect 3S to have any play at all but N/S surely have a game or slam that is worth more than setting 3S doubled.

North has a five-loser hand; the double should provide 4 cover cards and the spade bids suggest little of partner's strength is opposite the void, so a slam looks likely. Opposite any normal takeout double 6H would be right; but the suit could use help and 6D or 7D might be better. The trick is to avoid making a bid partner can pass short of slam. 4S would certainly be forcing but it's hard to come up with a way to show both suits. I think 6H directly is the practical bid, or possibly 5S (showing the void) followed by 6H to allow partner a chance to bid the grand. Six making seven was worth a solid 5.5 out of 8 matchpoints.

Board 18: East may open 2S in a very undisciplined style, but most would pass owing to the poor suit and/or side four-card major. Afer South passes West opens 2D, weak, or if 2D would mean something else, a very agressive 3D -- North is marked with a good hand and it pays to jam the bidding in third seat. North's monster 1-5-1-6 hand is hard to bid; experts play "Leaping Michaels", where a leap to 4C or 4D over a weak two shows a strong two-suited hand with the bid suit and an unbid major. Lacking that treatment the usual procedure is for North to double and then bid one of his suits to show a strong hand. I avoid doing that with a singleton in an unibd major (sapdes in this case), but North is so strong that he can afford to show his club suit at the five or even six level if necessary.

South jumps to 3S, showing about 9-11 in value and four or more spades. For those playing lebensohl, South can clarify his spade length by bidding 2NT (a relay to 3C) followed by 3S, showing only a four card suit. Lacking that agreement, South jumps to 3S and North bids 4C. That should be forcing where 4H risks partner's passing. South ahs already shown a good hand, but the club support and two Aces are unexpected assets and it makes sense to cue-bid 4D. North bids 4H (another cue-bid, no way to show the hearts on this auction), South cue-bids 4S, and North bids 4NT to ask for Aces or key-cards. Over Sout's 5H reply North bids 5NT to confirm all the Aces and a good trup suit, but South is done and bids 6C to deny any side Kings or other assets that would justify bidding seven. Declarer pulls two rounds of trumps and then tries to ruff a heart before pulling the last trump. When West drops the Queen, South can pull the last trump and concede one heart to the Jack, or try leading the ten of hearts -- if East covers, ruff and it's OK if West over-ruffs; if East plays low, pitch from dummy. If West wins the Jack the rest of the hearts are good and the last trump can be pulled; on today's layout West ruffs  but there is still a trump in dummy to ruff out the Jack.