Sunday, August 26th 2012

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Board 3:  West opens 1C, silencing North. When the enemy opens your best suit, it's usually best to pass and defend -- why volunteer your side to play with such lousy breaks? East responds 1H, which West raises to two. East has more than enough for game -- 13 hcp, two extra trumps and a void. But the void is in partner's first suit, increasing the likelihood of wasted values. East can count five losers (the fourth diamond should be no problem with such a good trump fit) and at three points per trick West may be able to cover four of those, but again values in clubs may not be useful. Visualizing, slam would be easy opposite, say, Ax Qxxx AKx xxxx; in fact that looks good for a grand. But opposite xx Qxxx Axx AQxx ten tricks may be the limit. So East is justified in making a below-game slam try, but should not risk the five level without encouragement from partner. It would be great if partner would take 4C as a "self-splinter", but in partner's suit it sounds more like a double-fit -- 3C might not be viewed as strictly forcing. At the table I might try 2S (initially taken as a game try), but when West leaps to 4H there is still no clear path to slam -- imagine West with the Ace of clubs rather than diamonds. Every pair finished at 4H, making six.

One path to slam would be for East to start with a strong jump shift: 1C-2H; 3H-3S; 4D-4H; 4S-6H or the like. Perhaps the void, even in partner's suit, justifies such bidding. One argument against strong jumps is that you may learn more from opener's rebid over the simple response -- but what could be more encouraging than a raise, yet it's hard to show slam interest after 1C-1H; 2H. As usual, the immediate jump clarifies responder's interest in slam. East can reflect that slam makes opposite Ax Qxxx Axx xxxx, which is less than an opening bid.

Board 4: West's flat 18 is too strong for 1NT --  don't get in the habit of finding excuses to downgrade 18 into the 15-17 range, unless you have no ace. West opens 1D, planning a strong rebid in notrump. North overcalls 2C -- the suit is "topless", only five cards long and N/S are vulnerable, but 2C preempts both major suits. East has enough to bid 2S; would a negative double be better? East would like to check on a 4-4 heart fit, a 5-3 or 5-4 spade fit, and then settle in 3NT; but there isn't enough room to do everything. A trap pass might score a bundle if partner re-opens with a double, but there's too much risk of a major-suit fit weakening the combined defense. All in all, double followed by 3NT may be the best approach, giving up on a possible 5-3 spade fit. See how much havoc 2C over 1D can cause?

West has a serious problem responding to the double -- no four card major, no five card suit to rebid, and no club stopper. I would assume partner is short in clubs and rebid 2D -- better than over-exciting partner by bidding a major you don't have, and a 4-3 diamond fit should play better than either major. You may even survive a 4-2 fit. East rebids 3NT as planned and that ends the auction.

With such a weak hand, South may as well lead partner's clubs despite the singleton. East quickly cashes 11 tricks (clearing the heart suit from dummy before tackling spades) and may take all 13 if North fails to keep two club honors.

Four pairs played 3NT by West, probably on an over-strength 1NT opening. Three Easts played 4S, perhaps with a minor opening and no overcall. Two pairs reached 6S; one path might be 1D-1S; 2NT-3H; 3S-6S . I think the slam can be made on a dummy reversal, ruffing three diamonds in hand along with four hearts, two clubs and the top three trumps.

Board 6: All I heard all day way how poor the E/W cards were -- and here's yet another potential slam! East opens 1D and West responds 1H. 19 hcp might not be enough for game if West has stretched his bid, so East must choose between the value rebid of 2NT (allowing partner to pass a weak hand) or a game-forcing 2S. With every high card working (two AK's along with KQ in partner's suit) I'd choose the jump shift. Responder wonders if he should support diamonds, but rebidding a six-card major is usually best -- you don't want to land in 5D when 4H could make. East raises to 4H -- should West try for slam? I would count West's hand as eight losers and expect partner to cover six of them -- six sounds iffy and the five level may not be safe. Visualizing, partner might have AKxx AK QJxxx xx; not really enough to jump shift yet slam is virtually cold. Good trumps are a must; I'd pass playing normal Blackwood but would risk 4NT playing Roman Key Card. East replies 5C, zero or three key cards (which includes the King of hearts along with the Aces.) Zero would be inconsistent with the jump shift so West can safely assume three. With one key card missing, it would be best not to bid slam without the Queen of trumps. The cheapest "illogical" suit asks aboput the Queen, but are any suits "illogical" here? I always think it's dangerous to make a bid such as 5D here that could, in fact, sound natural, so I would simply gamble 6H now and discuss it with partner later. I prefer not to allow previously-bid suits to be artificial unless it is clear the bidder cannot mean to play in that suit.

As it happened, no one bid 6H and the slam makes only because the ten of spades gets promoted when the QJ fall under the AK. The same tricks are vailable at notrump; perhaps the bidding went 1D-1H; 3NT-pass or 1D-1H; 2NT-3H; 3NT-pass.

Board 10: South opens and the bidding proceeds 1H-2C; 2D, and apparently three Norths rebid 3C, a non-forcing bid in standard, and played it there. With 14 hcp opposite an opening bid, North must force to game. One possibility is an immediate jump to 3C; "only" 14 hcp but four quick tricks and good playing strength does give the hand some slam potential. South rebid depends on the style of jump shifts played -- I favor a very "loose" approach to two level jumps, but the lack of bidding room makes it undesirable to have a second suit for any three level jump. 3NT seems reasonable as any attempt to show South's 5-5 pattern will drive the bidding beyond that level. North should pass 3NT.

Those playing strict 2/1 Game Force have an easier time: 1H-2C; 2D-3C is still game forcing; but again, 3NT (protecting the Kx of spades) seems better than rebidding the poor diamond suit, so the end result is the same. "Scientific" Standard bidders can employ the 4th suit gadget: 1H-2C; 2D-2S, artificial and forcing either one round or to game. (I recommend forcing to game unless the partnership plays that all jump rebids by responder are game-forcing, as was normal in Old Goren.) The 2S bid essentially denies the ability to make a more descriptive rebid; notrump shape with no stopper in spades would be typical, or hand too strong to rebid clubs (as here.) South shows his spade stopper with 2NT and now North can raise to 3NT or rebid the clubs without fear of being passed. Even if you play "4th Suit Forcing one round" the 3C bid should logically be forcing rather than having two different ways to rebid 3C without forcing to game -- but it's simpler just to play "4th suit forcing to game."

It's hard to see getting past 3NT on these cards, but if South rebids 3D rather than 2NT North must, of course, raise.With five losers opposite the equivalent of an opening bid, South may drive to slam, but poor trumps and a misfit for partner's suit look discouraging. Still, 5D is apt to lose matchpoints to 3NT, 6D, or even 4H, so it may be better to drive to slam than languish at five. 3NT making six proved to be a near top, and if only one of the red suits broke well 3NT would outscore any other contract. Bottom line: don't chase minor suit games when notrump may be playable. Showing 5-5 shape isn't as important as getting to the right contract.