Sunday, August 2nd 2015

Click here for hands and results.

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

West opens 1D -- some might suggest 1NT, but it does not appear to be legal under ACBL's General Convention Card to agree to do this or to do so more than once with the same partner. East responds 1S and West jumps to 3S, invitational. Move the stiff King into one of the other suits and the hand would be worth a game raise, such as a 4C splinter. West's jump promises four trumps and suggests a hand worth 17 to 19 (including distributional assets); East adds 13 hcp and one or two for shape, so the combined assets are in the 30 to 34 range. Visualizing, East has 6 losers (the big fit should take care of the fourth club) and can expect 5 or 6 cover cards for West's jump, with the actual hand being a good example. East lacks red-suit controls, so 4NT could lead to a slam off a cashing AK, or guessing to stop at the five level when slam is actually cold. Much better is 4C, suggesting slam and showing a club control.

West has excellent cards, especially if the style is for control bids to generally be made on Aces or Kings rather than singleton or voids. In any case I think West should drive to slam after any suggestion from partner. A complete auction might be 1D-1S; 3S-4C; 4NT-5D (three key cards); 5NT (we've got everything)-6C (nothing else to say); 6S. When trumps split 2-2 East has tricks to burn but cannot avoid one diamond loser. Four pairs out of nine bid this excellent slam.

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

West might open a pure garbage 3C, but I prefer to have something like a weak two for that bid and am not a fan of preempting on bad hands with bad suits in any case. If West passes North opens 1S The stiff King is a flaw, but it is very wrong to assume it is worthless and pass such hands -- the classic advice is to deduct one point, and I never pass a hand containing 12 hcp including an Ace at matchpoints. If a strong 3D is in the arsenal, that looks good on South's hand, planning to follow with 3NT. I'm sure most Souths bid just 2D, either game-forcing or at least game-invitational. North rebids 2H; now what? There may still be slam in diamonds or notrump, but South must be careful not to get passed out in a part-score. 3C is forcing in any style; anyone playing 2/1 game force or other modern methods should recognize that this Fourth Suit bid could be artificial. As such, South might not have a club stopper so North merely bids 3D and awaits developments. That encourages South (no misfit) but is there enough for slam? Losing Trick Count under-rates South's control-rich hand. Visualizing, South has six losers; a minimum opener rates to cover four of those, but a club ruff or long spade could dispose of another. A perfect minimum for North might be AKxxx Kxxx Qxxx x, so slam is certainly plausible, but partner may well have an imperfect minimum where slam has no play. Ideally South should invite slam with a chance to stop at game if partner does not have the right cards. Unfortunately, the proper game contract is almost certainly in notrump, not diamonds, especially at matchpoints; +400 or +420 will score badly against +430 at notrump.

I think any clever bid here is too risky -- 3H or 3S or 4D might well be passed or lead to confusion, and none is clearly a slam try. As a practical matter South should either bid 3NT or drive to slam. As partner's bidding does suggest 5431 shape I think 6D is worth the risk. 4NT doesn't accomplish much -- you should bid slam whether or not partner has an ace, and the non-solid diamonds make 6NT or 7D look too risky. As it happens the diamond drop or finesse fails and spades do not split evenly, so in practice I think 6D will go down. No one bid slam on this one.

Against 3NT, West probably leads a club. The obvious line is to cash the AK of diamonds, knock out the Queen and take 10 tricks after the club return. Swinging for a top or bottom, declarer might risk the heart finesse.

Playing 6D with a club lead, twelve tricks will be easy if the Queen of diamonds drops, a 52% chance; declarer takes six diamonds and two tricks in each other suit, losing one heart. If there is a diamond loser, declarer must set up at least one spade to succeed -- East can cover the Queen or Jack of hearts, stranding declarer with a loser. But the opening lead removes the only side suit entry and the only way to arrange two trump entries would be to drop a stiff Queen or concede a trump trick without playing any high trumps. And if spades aren't 3-3 declarer will also need the heart finesse.

Perhaps the best line would be King of clubs, Ace, King and low spade, ruffed with the Jack. If spades are 3-3 you can then cash the Ace of trumps and lead a low trump to dummy, insuring an entry to the spades for two heart discards. If spades are 4-2 and West overruffs, dummy's trumps will provide three more entries, but you will need the heart finesse as you can set up only one long spade. What if West refuses to overruff on today's layout? Declarer must guess what is going on -- he can force a heart entry to take the "marked" diamond finesse -- oops, wrong answer. Or he can assume a diamond loser and lead low trumps to dummy, relying on the heart finesse later. Tough hand.