Thursday, August 23rd 2012

Right-click here for hands.

Board 5: West opens 1D in fourth seat and East replies 1H. By point-count, West can add 3 for his singleton club in a hand with 4-card trump support; added to his excellent 17 count that makes enough to force to game. West can leap directly to 4H or describe his hand better with a 4C "splinter" raise, promising four trumps, a singleton or void in clubs, and game-going values. The splinter covers one of East's small clubs and the expected 17 hcp might cover 6 more losers; let's try visualizing. AKx Kxxx AKxxx x would make for a laydown slam, so East's hand is worth a try, but East has no control in diamond or spades andso there is no obvious slm try available below game. East can reasonably proceed with 4NT or bid a cautious 4H. As it happens, the slam depends on a diamond finesse, so at matchpoints it's probably better to stop at game since most pairs won't be in slam and down one will be a very cold bottom. Every pair bid 4H, making 6.

Board 6: East opens 1S and West responds 2D or a strong 3D. I was not encouraged by the spade void and opted for 2D myself. East rebids the spades and West can probe further with a 3C or 3H bid -- either should be taken as 100% forcing; the most fundamental principal of American bidding methods is that a new suit-over-suit bid by a responder who has never limited his hand is forcing, and at this level that effectively means game forcing. Over 3H, East bids 3NT, which was enough encouragement for me to try 6D. A better bid would be 4D; although rebidding a new suit is not ordinarily forcing, it would be silly for 4D to mean "let's play a part-score rather than game!" There are occassions when the bidding might die at four of a minor, but when an unlimited hand pulls 3NT to 4C or 4D, it should be taken as a slam try, not weakness. Having limited his hand, East's hand looks quite good; but 4S looks like the obvious call, whether partner takes it as a strong suit or good controls there. RKCB bidders may have some doubt about what suit 4NT by West would be asking about here; I'd be inclined to think spades.

Four pairs stopped at 3NT, two bid 4S, and tthree bid 6D. At my table North led a club; I won in dummy and, not fearing a singleton lead, cashed a high spade and led a diamond to the nine. Disaster! North won, returned another diamnd and South ruffed! Didn't see that coming, but really, since there was no way for me to get back to dummy after pitching a heart I might as well have played Ace and another diamond -- there was little hope if the trumps were not 2-2. Six making would tie for top while down one tied for bottom. Those playing four spades should recognize that other pairs will be in notrump and try to outscore them, but the spade Jack doesn't fall and a diamond must be lost for a poor +650 score.

Board 7: South's hand (10x AQJ9xxx 10x Kx) is a bit too strong for 3H; 10hcp + 2 quick tricks + a good seven card suit = opening bid, with 4H as a plausible alternative. Assuming 1H, North responds 2C -- bid the longer suit first with a full opening bid, there may well be slam in clubs. South rebids 2H (showing little more than minimum values and an unbalanced hand, not specifically 6 card length as most experts play) and North bids 2S, natural and game-forcing. (With a weaker hand, respond 1S.) South repeats the hearts and North ends the bidding at 4H.

West, on lead, considers the strong club holding, but leading it could easily help set the suit up for declarer. Assuming 24-26 hcp for N/S, partner should have 5-7 hcp. Diamonds are the unbid suit but partner may be too weak for that to be effective. When leading, I'm inclined to hope for a King or Ace in partner's hand when I can expect at least 8 hcp; perhaps the club is best after all.

South counts at least 6 heart tricks, a spade, and two clubs. There are finesses in three suits and the possibility of a 3-3 club split. A thoughtful line would be to win the club in hand and lead to the Ace of hearts -- if East has the King, he can be endplayed. When the King drops declarer can use the ten as an entry and proceed with Ace of clubs, ruff a club, trump to the ten, ruff a club, spade to the Queen. East wins that trick and sooner or later the Ace of diamonds, declarer pitching a diamond if needed on the last club.

If instead declarer decides to finesse in hearts, he may win the first club in dummy and lose a trump to West's King. West returns another club to avoid breaking a new suit. Declarer can try a heart to the ten, ruff a club but won't have enough entries to set up a pitch, and will later have to guess to avoid two diamond losers. Or, declarer may hope clubs are no worse than 4-2: win the King of clubs, club to the Ace, finesse the heart. Now West cannot safely continue clubs; counting high cards, partner may have the King of spades and so a low spade looks best -- let declarer guess the diamonds. If declarer plays low, however, East must win his King and grab the Ace of diamonds. All but one declarer finished with ten tricks.