Wednesday, June 6th 2012

Four slams bid and made against us -- and one not bid that didn't make! Right-click here for hands.

Board 2: After three likely passes, North looks at x AKJ AQxx AK10xx in 4th seat. 21 hcp, but is this a 2C opener? I wouldn't -- what are you going to bid over partner's response? I pefer to have a five card major, six card minor, or balanced hand when I open 2C, or 25 hcp. I'd open this one 1C -- what game are you missing if partner passes? South responds 1D or 1S according to style; let's assume an up-the-line 1D. West overcalls 1H and North begins to show his powerhouse with a 2H cue-bid or possibly a 3S splinter. Assuming the cue-bid, South has an easy rebid of 2S and North proceeds with 3D -- no need to leap anywhere, the cue-bid-then-raise sequence creates a game force. South's shape is suitable for notrump but with no heart stopper South likely bids 4D. North can continue with a 4H control cue, South bids 4NT (Blackwood or RKCB.) Assuming RKCB, North replies 5C (0 or 3 key cards, obviously not zero on this bidding) and South ends the bidding at 6D. West probably cashes his Ace, leaving South with 12 easy tricks; if West instead punts with, say, a club, Suth can manage a spade ruff before pulling all the trumps. 6NT by South can be made on the heart finesse. +1370 tied for a top.

Board 7: South opens 1C, North reponds 1D or perhaps a forcing raise such as an inverted 2C. 1D does not improve South's hand so he rebids a quiet 1H, a bid with almost as wide a range as the original opening. Contrary to rumor or "Five Weeks to Winning Bridge", a second bid by responder does NOT promise 10 points - American experts tried that system around the time Sheinwold's clasic was published, and abandoned it as unworkable, returning to the traditional scheme where only a jump or new suit at the two level or higher shows extra for responder. With 12 hcp and a balanced hand, responder aims for 3NT, but lacks a spade stopper. A jump to 3C looks right. South perks up and ponders slam. Basic Losing Trick Count rates South's hand as four losers; the promise of four card trump support relieves any worries about the fourth spade or heart. How many losers can North cover? The invitational jump (11-12 points) suggests about 3.5 in high cards, and North's bidding makes it obvious he must have shortage in at least one major. Looks like slam or even grand slam is plausible. Visualizing, South might place North with something like xx Kx Axxxx KQxx -- there is probably some wastage in diamonds else North might not have bid that suit, and nothing in spades is likely else North might've rebid in notrump. South may as well trot out 4NT; assuming RKCB, North replies 5S (two key cards + the Queen of trumps.) That confirms the diamond wastage; and North's limited invitational jump rules out enough power for 6NT or 7C, so South ends the bidding at 6C. Two high diamonds are a disappointment but both major suit finesses work and South rolls up all the tricks. Only one pair reached the excellent slam, so 1370 scored a cold top -- forget chasing 6NT.

Board 11: South opens 1H (or 1C, but with a minimum 5-6 opening the major is probably best) and West jams the bidding with a leap to 3S, reasonable when not vulnerable despite the ratty suit. North has more than enough for game, but not enough to risk any bid except 4H, especially with only three-card support. The singleton Ace of spades is not a big advantage -- a small singleton and four points elsewhere would be more useful. South has few losers -- three Aces and perhaps a club. Pefect for 4NT, if East doesn't gum up the works with a 5S raise on the assumed 10-11 card fit and good shape. (East may pass, however, afraid 5S will propel N/S into slam.)  Five spades doubled is down at least 4 (+800) or 5 if North manages to give South a diamond ruff (+1100.)

Assuming East passes, South bids 4NT, North replies 5S (Blackwood) or 5C (RKCB, 0 or 3 key cards) and South confirms all the Aces or key cards by continuing with 5NT. North either shows no Kings or blasts to 7H hoping the spade singleton will provide trick 13. 3 pairs bid slam and one collected +800 against 5S doubled. Not much reason to risk the grand when nost pairs missed slam altogether.

Board 17: North opens 1NT (15-17) and South would like a way to bid clubs and then invite slam. A simple, old-fashioned 3C jump fits the bill; North bids 3NT to show all suits stopped; South raises to 4NT as an invitation. North ahs excellent cards but minimum values and 3334 shape -- pass proves to be the winning call. Really, South is probably a bit light for this sequence, so 1NT-3NT may be the best auction; at our table the bidding was 1NT-4NT-all pass. Six pairs overbid to 6NT, a contact that generally requires 33 hcp to have good chances -- 15 opposite 15 doesn't come close. And six clubs suffers from near-mirror shape; the big fit and excellent controls don't add up to 12 tricks.

Board 19: South opens 1H and North has a great hand for a strong jump shift (2S) planning to support hearts later. A possible auction would be 1H-2S; 3C-3H; 4H (South has a bare minimum.) North has two classic flaws for Blackwood: a void and a suit missing both top cards. But South's 3C makes it likely he has a control there (those playing Soloway jump shifts would be certain of that) and 4NT is probably better than torturing partner with 4S or whatever at this point. South shows one Ace or two key cards and North settles for 6H. Two pairs bid the grand, one making, one failing; 6H making seven was worth a decent 7.5 out of 12 matchpoints (62.5%.)

For those misguided souls who claim never to get hands good enough for a strong jump shift, North responds 1S. East considers a 3D preempt but wisely passes, vulnerable with a ratty suit. South rebids 2C and now how does North support hearts? He must stall with 2D, fourth suit artificial, a rather unappetizing choice on a void. South cannot bid notrump or show delayed (3-card) spade support and so rebids 2H for lack of anything better. North now bids 3H; this is why I prefer the fourth suit be forcing to game, otherwise North can never make a forcing raise with his excellent hand! South bids a discouraging 4H on his minimum and North proceeds much as above toward 6H.

Board 25: West opens 1NT (15-17) and East bids 2C (Stayman.) This is the correct approach with four cards in one major and 5+ in the other -- start with Stayman, not a transfer. Opener replies 2D and East now shows his hearts. 4H would end the bidding; should East try for slam? Six losers and, at 3 points per trick, you can hope for 5 cover cards from the 1NT bidder; visualizing, perhaps opener has something like Ax AQx KQxx xxxx. So East rebids 3H, forcing. This might be a 5-4 hand (Smolen bidders would use 3S to show hearts, 3H to show spades, a sort of delayed transfer.) West lacks support and retreats to 3NT; now 4H by East would reveal his slam ambitions, as he took an extra round to get there. Or East may try 4D, intended as a cue-bid, but West might read this as 4540 shape. West is minimum with minimum support and likely passes 4H.

On lead, South may "punt" with a diamond, figuring partner to be weak and hoping not to blow a trick rather than trying to find a killing lead. Declarer can dump one spade on a diamond but must either guess the Ace of spades doubleton or try to establish a club to dispose of another spade. Win the diamond in hand, club to the Ace, ruff a club, heart to the Ace (noting South's Queen.) Time to reconsider -- if that Queen is honest, North has four trumps, and ruffing another club as planned will leave declarer with no more trumps than North. Better pull the trumps and lead a spade to establish at least one winner there. If South pops up with his Ace that's the only trick for the defense; if South ducks, the Queen wins and declarer tries the "obligatory finesse", ducking another spade to South in hopes of catching the Ace doubleton. Success! Three declarers managed 12 tricks for 11 of 12 matchpoints.