Sunday, September 22nd 2013

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Board 11 South Deals None Vul	♠ 7 ♥ A K 9 7 ♦ K Q J 5 3 2 ♣ Q 3
♠ A 10 5 3 ♥ 8 ♦ 6 4 ♣ 10 9 8 7 6 5	N W E S	♠ 9 8 6 ♥ 10 6 4 3 2 ♦ A 8 7 ♣ J 2
	♠ K Q J 4 2 ♥ Q J 5 ♦ 10 9 ♣ A K 4

South opens 1S or 1NT; with both a 5-card major and a small doubleton, I’d like to bid 1S, but 1NT gets the basic shape and strength across quickly. Over 1NT North bids 2C, Stayman. South replies 2S. This makes NT look playable but there may be a slam; 3D is natural and forcing. South considers rebidding the spades but that risks missing 3NT; with both unbid suits under control 3NT looks right. North, confident of a diamond fit, counts about five losers – the Queen of clubs balances the possible fourth round heart loser. At 3 points a trick, 15 hcp could provide five cover cards, so North should not pass 3NT. Visualizing, partner might have Axxx Qxx Axx AJx; 6D would be a laydown and 6NT makes on a club finesse or non-spade lead. You cannot count on partner to have those specific cards but if you invite slam and he accepts there will usually be a good play for twelve tricks.

What would 4NT by North mean at this point? In many partnerships South would simply assume Blackwood and reply 5D, one Ace. If North passes the matchpoint result will be poor, +400 or +420 rather than +460 at notrump; instead, North should bid 5H asking partner to sign off at 5NT. If the partnership has the clear agreement that notrump over notrump is natural, not Blackwood, South may be tempted to bid 6NT with his good 16 count and five card suit. This ought to fail but may slip though if West leads a club and declarer is careful to win with the Ace rather than the King. When East wins his Ace of diamonds he may return a club rather than a spade. East could hold up twice to watch partner’s discard, but this would be costly if declarer needed only two diamond tricks (add the ten to South’s spades, for example.) Still, the holdup will probably gain more often than it loses; on today’s hand West can pitch a low club, high spade or whatever signal points to spades.

North could instead try 4D over 3NT; this is a clear slam try but it may be hard to land back in notrump. Possible auction: 1NT-2C; 2S-3D; 3NT-4D; 4S (control bid)-4NT (Key Card for diamonds); 5D-5H; 5NT-pass.

 If  South opens 1S, North responds 2D. This covers opener’s weak suit but a notrump rebid at this point would misdescribe opener’s values: 2NT suggests no more than 14 hcp while 3NT suggests 18-19. 3C looks right, promising extra strength; there is little risk partner will insist on playing clubs unless he happens to have five of them.

North has good playing strength but cannot be sure yet of a fit. Since 3C created a game force, North can simply rebid 3D. (Note that there cannot exist a heart fit, as opener would not skip hearts to bid 3C with 5404 shape.) South tries 3NT and North may give up; the singleton in partner’s long suit is not encouraging.

Board 18 East Deals N-S Vul	♠ K 6 ♥ Q 8 6 ♦ K Q 9 8 3 ♣ K 7 5
♠ 10 4 2 ♥ 10 3 ♦ J 7 4 ♣ J 10 4 3 2	N W E S	♠ A 9 8 7 5 ♥ K 5 4 ♦ 6 5 ♣ Q 9 8
	♠ Q J 3 ♥ A J 9 7 2 ♦ A 10 2 ♣ A 6

South opens 1NT; this is almost always best with exactly 16 hcp – with 15 or 17 you may get away with a slight underbid or overbid in notrump the next round, but 16 is too much “in the middle.” North raises to 3NT – even if South ahs a maximum and a diamond fit, North’s honors are too scatterred to make slam a good bet. As it happens, however, both red suits break well and the heart finesse is on. 3NT making six should be routine. Some partnerships use 3C as Puppet Stayman; if North tries that, the operation will succeed but a heart contract scores poorly. Same thing if South opens 1H. When both hands are balanced and you have 28+ hcp notrump often outscores an 8 card major fit.

Board 19 South Deals E-W Vul	♠ 10 5 ♥ K 10 8 3 2 ♦ Q 9 6 ♣ K 7 4
♠ Q ♥ Q 9 6 ♦ A K 8 5 3 ♣ J 9 8 3	N W E S	♠ A K 9 8 7 4 3 ♥ A J 7 ♦ — ♣ A 6 5
	♠ J 6 2 ♥ 5 4 ♦ J 10 7 4 2 ♣ Q 10 2

West opens 1D; don’t let the stiff Queen of diamonds spook you, if it’s worthless you still have good shape. Don’t pass a hand with 12 hcp including an Ace. East counts five losers and should make a move toward slam; the two side Aces make it plausible you can pitch a loser or two on partner’s diamonds. A strong jump to 2S followed by a spade rebid is a good approach. If you play weak jumps, East must start with a nebulous 1S and scramble to find forcing bids later.

I’m sure several North players overcalled 1H; this isn’t really an eight count with no Ace, the bid takes up no space, and it is a poor hand to suggest a lead or sacrifice. At this vulnerability partner will be tempted to overbid and you have a terrible playing hand. However, a 1H call likely deprives East of his strong jump – most play weak jump shifts in competition. East settles for 1S. West has a choice of showing his crummy club suit or bidding 1NT with a shaky stopper and off shape hand. I think 2C, showing the shape, is probably best. East is too strong for 3S or 4S; he must cue-bid the enemy suit (2H) to keep the ball rolling. Now West is comfortable bidding 2NT as partner will not expect a truly balanced hand or double heart stop. East can now bid 3S, forcing in light of the prior cue-bid. Having denied support so far, West raises to 4S on his stiff Queen – partner does not appear to be interested in either minor suit or notrump. East can bid 6S or try to explore grand slam; perhaps 4NT-5D (1 key card); 5H (Queen ask)-6D (yes, and I also have the diamond King.) East settles for 6S for lack of an obvous 13^th trick.

4S making seven tied for top; one pair stumbled into the poor club slam. Some 4-3 fits are playable but in any suit slam you must have strong trumps.

Board 24 West Deals None Vul	♠ Q 8 4 2 ♥ 9 7 5 2 ♦ 8 4 ♣ 8 7 4
♠ A K 9 7 6 3 ♥ K Q 8 ♦ 10 2 ♣ 3 2	N W E S	♠ — ♥ 6 4 ♦ A Q J 9 5 ♣ A K Q J 10 5
	♠ J 10 5 ♥ A J 10 3 ♦ K 7 6 3 ♣ 9 6

West opens 1S; East does not like the void in partner's suit, but with eight or nine tricks in his own hand must aim for slam unless there is no control of hearts. Three level jumps should not include a side suit, so East should begin with 2C, West rebids spades and East forces to game with 3D. (This is both a reverse and a new suit at the three level.) West naturally bids 3NT. This suggests values in hearts but East cannot be certain that includes the Ace or King; 4D is natural, slammish, and portrays the 5-6 shape. West has nothing in partner's suits but fairly good controls for his bidding so far; a 4H cue-bid seems justified. (4S would sound natural and discouraging.) The tricky part is that East cannot be sure which suit West fits -- but the clubs are self-sufficient. East can proceed with 4NT (of whatever variety) followed by 6C. Not a great slam since it depends on the diamond finesse. Passing 3NT seems awfully pessimistic but if East can bid 4NT as a natural invitation that's a reasonable landing spot.

Mentor/Mentee Game September 3rd, 2013

Board 5 North Deals N-S Vul	♠ J 10 5 3 2 ♥ Q 4 ♦ J 5 ♣ K J 5 4
♠ K 6 ♥ K 6 2 ♦ Q 9 2 ♣ Q 9 7 6 3	N W E S	♠ A Q 7 ♥ A 10 9 8 7 ♦ A 6 ♣ A 10 2
	♠ 9 8 4 ♥ J 5 3 ♦ K 10 8 7 4 3 ♣ 8

East opens 1H. I rate West's hand as a maximum for a simple raise (6-10), deducting a point for no Ace. East, however, adds one for all four Aces and bids straight to 4H; if East merely invites, West will certainly accept, so almost all roads lead to game. If West overbids his hand with a limit raise, standard 2/1 bid followed by support or forcing notrump-then-raise-to-3 sequence, East may go overboard. Remember that an average hand includes an Ace and the point count assumes you have your share of Aces; it's hard to make game with fewer than two.

South looks at his 4 hcp and, counting 24 or more for the enemy bidding game, expects partner to have up to 12 hcp -- but since partner passed, no more than 10 or 11 seems likely. On the recommended sequence (1H-2H-4H) partner's range is perhaps 7-11. At any rate it's reasonable to hope North has an entry, either the Ace of clubs or a high trump, so the singleton lead looks like the best bet. No luck today; the lead establishes partner's Jack but he may well have taken two tricks if declarer played the suit normally (Ace, then low to the Queen, hoping South has the King.) Singleton leads are risky but sometimes pay off big.

Declarer counts a trump loser and one in each minor. There are various lines to try for an overtrick: low diamond to the Queen (South may duck thinking North has the Ace); try to establish a club; or throw someone in with a trump and hope they are endplayed. As it happens, declarer can cash the two high trumps and three spades, then endplay South with the third trump, but that line depends on South not having four spades.

Board 9 North Deals E-W Vul	♠ — ♥ 10 9 7 3 ♦ K 9 7 4 ♣ A Q J 4 2
♠ J 7 5 2 ♥ J 6 2 ♦ 8 6 3 2 ♣ 10 8	N W E S	♠ A K Q 9 6 4 ♥ 5 ♦ A Q 10 5 ♣ K 3
	♠ 10 8 3 ♥ A K Q 8 4 ♦ J ♣ 9 7 6 5

North is just a bit light for an opening; 5440 shape often doesn't play well so I would pass, hoping to back in later with a club overcall or takeout double of spades. Don't stretch based on the vulnerability -- partner will be eager to sacrifice or penalize the opponents at these colors, better to have a sound opening. East might open 2C but the playing strength is a bit ragged for my taste -- it is unlikely you will miss game if partner passes 1S. Throw in the Jack of spades or diamonds or upgrade that King of clubs to the Ace and 2C would be clear. South strains to bid his excellent suit; a two level overcall tends to have opening bid values and/or a longer suit but the suit quality and favorable vulnerability justify bidding. East passes and North bounces to 4H! The big fit, spade void, control of all side suits and good source of tricks in clubs make this a standout. North has enough defense to expect to beat 4S. It would be nice to bid clubs along the way for the lead but I'd rather not give the enemy more bidding room.

East may have enough to beat 4H but it seems likely North or South is short in spades. 4S might prove expensive but I think it's worth the risk. South, with a high offense.low defense hand and hoping for shortage in at least one of the black suits from partner takes the push to 5H. East sees too many chances for three or more tricks not to double.

West leads a spade and South pauses to take stock. Ruffing and pulling trumps will leave two spade losers, a diamond and probably a club. Try this: ruff, trump to hand, club to the Queen. East can cash his diamond Ace but now both spades can be pitched on minor suit winners. If East leads a spade or a trump, one more spade can be ruffed, trumps pulled and a spade or diamond pitched on the fifth club. Probably two hands out of three, declarer should pull trumps early, but you must look ahead and see what will happen. Here it is necessary to set up the clubs while dummy still has trumps to ruff spades, but there is a risk West is short in clubs and East returns the suit for a ruff.

If East is allowed to play a spade contract he must be careful to keep a low trump in hand in order to reach dummy twice, with the Jack and seven. This allows two finesses through North.

Board 13 North Deals Both Vul	♠ A 10 3 2 ♥ K 6 3 2 ♦ Q 5 ♣ A 10 6
♠ 9 8 7 6 4 ♥ Q J 4 ♦ 8 4 ♣ K 4 2	N W E S	♠ K Q J ♥ 9 8 7 ♦ J 6 3 ♣ 9 8 7 3
	♠ 5 ♥ A 10 5 ♦ A K 10 9 7 2 ♣ Q J 5

North-South likely start off with 1C-1D; 1H. At this point South may be stuck using simple, natural methods: 3D would not be forcing and any game bid would be a pure guess. That's why forcing bids are important. At our table South began with 2D, described as game-forcing; a good auction might proceed 1C-2D; 2H-3D.  North has excellent slam controls but minimum values; 3NT seems best at this point and I would expect South to pass.

American bridge writers almost universally deplore jump shifts unless South "knows where to play the hand", and many partnerships have adopted weak jump shift responses. The gadget known as "fourth suit forcing" is indispensible in such methods, a fact not generally stated by anyone arguing against flexible, strong jumps. The idea is that the fourth suit is typically one opener has skipped over and a fit there is unlikely, so when responder holds that suit he can bid some level of notrump. Bidding the fourth suit is treated as artificial and forcing. Here, however, a spade fit is still possible. Experts treat 1S as forcing but natural and use the jump to 2S as an artificial game force. Complicated! Anyway, the auction might proceed 1C-1D; 1H-2S (Alert!); 2NT. Either North or South may bid 3NT at some point or they may stumble past the matchpoint "pot of gold"; if so, either 4H or 6D may be a better bet than five of a minor. Slam makes on the club finesse and no bad breaks; the same 12 tricks are available at notrump and +690 tied for top.

Once upon a time bridge players were taught that any jump by responder was forcing to game; this caused some problems on "in-between" hands but getting a little too high or too low on a few of those is better than guessing what to do with a good hand such as today's South holds. Today you are virtually forced to learn the fourth suit gadget, as everyone plays jump rebids in notrump or previously bid suits (such as 1C-1D; 1H-3D on this hand) as invitational but not forcing.

Against North's 3NT, East leads the top of his spade sequence. By the way, a "sequence" must begin with an honor (the ten or higher); "1098" is considered a sequence for lead purposes but "987" is not. Although East has more length in clubs the suit is poor and also North opened in clubs. South considers a hold-up play but notices that the ten should stop the suit if East has KQJ(x)(x) as expected. Also, there are ten fast winners if no one has four diamonds to the Jack and the defenders may have trouble finding discards.

Declarer wins the opening lead and cashes six diamonds and two hearts, ending in hand. With nine tricks in the bag is it better to take the sure tenth trick or try the finesse? Better finesse -- other declarers may have received a club or heart lead, insuring 11 tricks; if the finesse fails you are losing out to those declarers but may outscore anyone in slam. If the finesse wins you at least tie everyone in game.