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Board 17: East opens a heavy 1D -- a strong hand, but not enough to justify a 2C opening -- there isn't likely to be a game if partner passes 1D. West has 11 hcp and 5-5 in the minors. Likely contracts include 3NT, 5D, and 6D, depeding on how much strength partner has overall and in the major suits. West can simply bid a forcing 2C; another possiblilty is a 3S splinter raise, but in a minor suit I prefer to have at least 13 hcp so that partner can be sure of enough strength for 3NT if he bids that. Over 2C, East must make a bid partner won't pass; a jump to 3D looks right in most methods. Those playing 2/1 Game Force might want a better suit for the jump, but in that case a simple 2D rebid is still forcing.
The 3D jump gets West thinking slam; lacking a heart control, West can simply raise to 4D or try a 4S splinter. Many players mistake four of a minor to be a mere game invitation, but that rarely makes sense; you should not blunder past 3NT without the values for at least the five level. Here, with both players showing good hands, 4D is far more useful as a slam try than a game invitation.
East is loaded with controls and proceeds with 4NT over 4D. West replies 5D, one ace or key card depending on style. East bids 5NT to confirm all the Aces, or perhaps 5H (playing key card) to ask about the trump queen. Since 5NT promises all the Aces, West has an easy leap to 7D. RKCB players may have more trouble: over the Queen ask, West bids 5NT (second step yes) or 6C (showing the Queen plus the club King, 5NT would be no in this case, since you can't bid five of the agreed suit.) That doesn't allow East to show all the Aces by way of 5NT, and neither player may be sure of the grand slam.
Four of eight pairs bid 6D; all diamond declarers scored 13 tricks.
Board 18: East is a tad light for an opening bid; some may say "two and a half quick tricks" and open anyway, but I would pass based on the minimal 5332 shape. West has 20 hcp and 4225 shape; since the spades are weak and both doubletons strong, I would prefer to open 2NT than to open 1C and jump shift in the crummy spade suit. Over 2NT, East counts 31-32 hcp -- enough for slam if a fit exists. But how to proceed? East can transfer to hearts, but must have clear agreements about the follow-ups. This hand illustrates an advantage of playing Texas transfers: when responder has a six card major and knows what level he wants to reach (game or slam), he starts with a four-level transfer and then passes, cue-bids or bids 4NT to check on key cards. The lower transfer is used when responder has questions about strain and/or level, and a 4NT rebid is invitational, not any form of Blackwood. So on today's hand East could transfer and follow with a slam invitational 4NT. This allows West to bid a natural 5C, which East raises to slam.
If transfer-then-4NT would be taken as Blackwood or key card, East has a problem -- his hearts aren't good enough for slam without a fit. I think I would guess to bid 6NT as East lacking any clear method to show the hearts and invite. The two aces and five card suit should give that contract some play. It would be reasonable to bid Gerber on the way (partner just might not have an Ace) but there does not seem to be any point in transferring to hearts if you can't offer partner a choice of slams. Transfer-then-5NT is another possibility, but that could be taken as the Grand Slam Force. Again, playing Texas transfers, 3D-then-5NT would be "pick a slam" while 4D-then-5NT would be the Grand Slam Force. Texas transfers come up rarely, however, so don't feel you must add yet another gadget to burden your memory.
If West opens 1C, I would expect the bidding to proceed 1C-1H; 2S-3C; 3NT-4NT. Is that invitational or Blackwood? I usually specify that 4NT is not Blackwood only when a Gerber 4C bid is available, and Gerber is only a jump over 1NT or 2NT -- so, in this case, no Gerber, so 4NT is ace or key-card asking. An alternate agreement is "notrump over notrump is always natural." Playing key card for clubs, West replies 5C (0 or 3); East bids 5D to ask about the Queen; West bids 5S (yes) or 5H (yes, with the King of hearts.) That last method might allow 7C to be reached.
Three pairs reached 6H, which seems inferior to 6NT, but opener's KJ support made that a sound contract. Top score went to 6NT -- who said anything about hearts?
Board 20: East opens 2C, planning to rebid 2NT (22-24) or 3NT (8.5 tricks unless someone else has five diamonds.) West should make a positive response in hearts: 2H if 2D would be negative or waiting, 2NT if playing 2H as a bust (2NT replaces the heart positive.) "Steps" bidders, of course, reply 2S (7-9 hcp.) It's a mistake to bid 2D "waiting" with such a good hand and good suit -- West should plan to reach slam, and showing the suit is a good first move.
Over 2H, East can simply raise to 3H -- the positive reply is game-forcing. But since West can be assumed to have a good suit, East may simply leap to 4NT, especially playing RKCB. West replies 5D (one key card.) Assuming five heart tricks, East can count 12 tricks at notrump; this is the best contract at any form of scoring, with no risk of a defensive ruff. Three pairs bid slam, two of them in notrump.
Board 25: North opens 1D and South responds 2C in standard methods or 2NT (11-12) or 2D (inverted raise.) I like the 2C bid if it isn't game-forcing and you have good agreements on the follow-ups. North can rebid 2S, which most would take as a strength-showing reverse; I consider that treatment to be obsolete (a holdover from the days of openig four-card majors) but it would work well on today's layout. South rebids 3D. North can now leap to 4H as a "self-splinter", showing zero or one hearts and slam interest. This encourages South to bid 4NT and drive to 6D. Otherwise, North can just try 5NT himself and assume that if South has only one Ace, it isn't in hearts, but if he has two, one of them may be (as on today's hand.) Another approach would be 4D by North, 4H-4S (cue-bids), 4NT -etc. As discussed above, in a game-forcing auction, 4D should be a slam try, not a bid that can be passed.
If South chooses the popular 2NT limit bid, does North know what bids he can count on partner not to pass? 3D sounds weak, but a jump to 4D should be forcing and slammish. South cue-bids 4H and North proceeds with 4NT.
If South bids an inverted (forcing) 2D, North might try 2S, ostensibly a notrump probe. South leaps to 3NT with extra values and a sure heart stopper; North must assume wasted values in hearts but has enough to try for slam anyway. Again, 4D works as a slam try, or a 4C cue-bid. Another option for North might be a 4H "self-splinter" directly over 2D if he's confident partner will be on the same page.
East may lead the Jack of hearts against 6D, hoping to build up a trick if partner has the Queen, or a trump, hoping not to give anything away. North should ruff the heart rather than guess to pitch a club at trick one; pull two rounds of trumps ending in dummy; and lead a spade toward the KQ. West, confident that dummy cannot provide multiple discards, ducks the first spade (especially if North showed spades during the bidding) hoping declarer will use another entry. North counts a spade, a heart, six trumps in hand, two more in dummy and two clubs for a sure 12 tricks, so he crosses to the Ace of clubs, pitches a club on the Ace of hearts, and leads another spade. West takes his ace and declarer claims.
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Friday January 25th, 2013
No hands posted at this time.
Board 6: South opens 1H on xx KJ109x AQ9x A9. West has the shape for an Unusual 2NT but likely passes with such a weak hand vulnerable vs. not. North has a monster: AKQx Axxxxx Jxx -- . If you play splinters, North can bid 4C to show a game-going hand (usually 11-14 hcp) with 4+ hearts and 0-1 clubs. This covers South's club loser, and counting on 11+ points outside clubs, South can picture something like Axx AQxx J10xxx x. Slam would depend on the diamond finesse, or a non-spade lead. If North has a bit extra, slam may be cold, so I think South is justified in making a slam try. With two fast spade losers and some doubt about overall strength, South should control-cue 4D rather than launch into 4NT himself. North is eager to cooperate -- he was planning to bid again even over a 4H sign-off -- should he show the spade control or the club void? As South might have bid 4NT with a spade control, I think that's the more useful information -- North bids 4S. Now South can safely bid 4NT; North replies with two Aces or two Key cards plus the Queen of trumps (!) When you know the partnership has ten or more trumps, pretend you have the Queen -- it is a heavy favorite to drop. North would like to also show his void but I doubt if many partnerships have an agreed method of doing that -- here, 5NT ought to carry that message; perhaps 5NT = 2 key cards + void, while 6C = 2+Q+void. But I think that would come up too rarely to remember. In any case, the void isn't important on today's hand.
Our complete splinter, key-card auction was: 1H-4C; 4D-4S; 4NT-5S; 5NT-6D (one side King); 6H-pass.
Not playing splinters or control cue-bids, I think North should simply drive to slam. Even if partner doesn't control the diamonds they might lead a spade or club if you don't give them any clues. On today's layout twleve tricks are easy.
Board 7: West opens 1C on Jx A98x A AKxxxx. North has an ugly suit and hand for a vulnerable overcall, but with no agreed way to show 5-5 in spades and diamonds I went ahead and bid 1S on K9xxx Q KJxxx Jx. East should not act startled or ask "what does 1S mean?" When they bid your long suit, just pass, or perhaps bid notrump. South passes and West, short in spades, should re-open the bidding. With length in their suit it is reasonable to assume partner is weak and pass, but shortage calls for action -- partner may be trap-passing as on today's hand, or in any case it's worth trying to push them up a level. A double, however, is unattractive -- partner might have made a negative double with four hearts, so you can expect a diamond response. To double and rebid clubs (or, worse, bidding 2H yourself) forces your side to the three level with no assurance of a fit. I think I'd re-open with a simple 2C, suggesting the long clubs and an unbalanced hand.
North's hand really isn't worth another bid; over to East, looking at AQ1087 KJx 10 Q1098 . Someone has diamonds, and partner's decision to bid 2C rather than double suggests it may not be him. East wants to be in game, at least, in either notrump or clubs. A 2S bid makes sense -- that can't be to play in the teeth of North's overcall, but suggests a strong, trap-pass hand. If you think partner might get confused, 5C looks like the practical bid, or 4D if you're confident partner will read that as a splinter.
OK, 1C-(1S)-pass; 2C-2S (forcing to game); 2NT (with stoppers in both red suits)-3C; 3D-3S (control bids; usually bids at this level are notrump probes, but it seems we've already shown those so control-bidding for slam makes sense); 4NT-5D (one Key card); 5H (Queen ask)-5NT or 6C (yes.) We have all the controls needed for grand slam, but it isn't clear we have 13 tricks, and there's some risk of an opening spade ruff. Nor is it obvious we have 12 tricks at notrump, so I think I'd settle for 6C. Thirteen tricks actually make when the Queen of hearts drops unexpectedly.
What if West does reopen with a double? North and East pass, and if South does also the result could be -1400, better than a club slam for E/W. But South has a rare hand worth a rescue attempt: 1-5-6-1 shape. If nothing else, South should bid 2D, retreating to his longer suit; that strikes gold. More experienced players would redouble for "SOS", showing at least 5-5 in the two unbid suits (and no promise of strength whatsoever.) This hand is ideal for SOS, but in 35 years of duplicate bridge I've seen maybe one genuine SOS redouble. Most redoubles show strength, not weakness; it is only when that interpretation is implausible that SOS can be asssumed. Either way, N/S escape into their 11 card fit. East can bid 2S as discussed above and perhaps reach the good slam.
Board 6: South opens 1H on xx KJ109x AQ9x A9. West has the shape for an Unusual 2NT but likely passes with such a weak hand vulnerable vs. not. North has a monster: AKQx Axxxxx Jxx -- . If you play splinters, North can bid 4C to show a game-going hand (usually 11-14 hcp) with 4+ hearts and 0-1 clubs. This covers South's club loser, and counting on 11+ points outside clubs, South can picture something like Axx AQxx J10xxx x. Slam would depend on the diamond finesse, or a non-spade lead. If North has a bit extra, slam may be cold, so I think South is justified in making a slam try. With two fast spade losers and some doubt about overall strength, South should control-cue 4D rather than launch into 4NT himself. North is eager to cooperate -- he was planning to bid again even over a 4H sign-off -- should he show the spade control or the club void? As South might have bid 4NT with a spade control, I think that's the more useful information -- North bids 4S. Now South can safely bid 4NT; North replies with two Aces or two Key cards plus the Queen of trumps (!) When you know the partnership has ten or more trumps, pretend you have the Queen -- it is a heavy favorite to drop. North would like to also show his void but I doubt if many partnerships have an agreed method of doing that -- here, 5NT ought to carry that message; perhaps 5NT = 2 key cards + void, while 6C = 2+Q+void. But I think that would come up too rarely to remember. In any case, the void isn't important on today's hand.
Our complete splinter, key-card auction was: 1H-4C; 4D-4S; 4NT-5S; 5NT-6D (one side King); 6H-pass.
Not playing splinters or control cue-bids, I think North should simply drive to slam. Even if partner doesn't control the diamonds they might lead a spade or club if you don't give them any clues. On today's layout twleve tricks are easy.
Board 7: West opens 1C on Jx A98x A AKxxxx. North has an ugly suit and hand for a vulnerable overcall, but with no agreed way to show 5-5 in spades and diamonds I went ahead and bid 1S on K9xxx Q KJxxx Jx. East should not act startled or ask "what does 1S mean?" When they bid your long suit, just pass, or perhaps bid notrump. South passes and West, short in spades, should re-open the bidding. With length in their suit it is reasonable to assume partner is weak and pass, but shortage calls for action -- partner may be trap-passing as on today's hand, or in any case it's worth trying to push them up a level. A double, however, is unattractive -- partner might have made a negative double with four hearts, so you can expect a diamond response. To double and rebid clubs (or, worse, bidding 2H yourself) forces your side to the three level with no assurance of a fit. I think I'd re-open with a simple 2C, suggesting the long clubs and an unbalanced hand.
North's hand really isn't worth another bid; over to East, looking at AQ1087 KJx 10 Q1098 . Someone has diamonds, and partner's decision to bid 2C rather than double suggests it may not be him. East wants to be in game, at least, in either notrump or clubs. A 2S bid makes sense -- that can't be to play in the teeth of North's overcall, but suggests a strong, trap-pass hand. If you think partner might get confused, 5C looks like the practical bid, or 4D if you're confident partner will read that as a splinter.
OK, 1C-(1S)-pass; 2C-2S (forcing to game); 2NT (with stoppers in both red suits)-3C; 3D-3S (control bids; usually bids at this level are notrump probes, but it seems we've already shown those so control-bidding for slam makes sense); 4NT-5D (one Key card); 5H (Queen ask)-5NT or 6C (yes.) We have all the controls needed for grand slam, but it isn't clear we have 13 tricks, and there's some risk of an opening spade ruff. Nor is it obvious we have 12 tricks at notrump, so I think I'd settle for 6C. Thirteen tricks actually make when the Queen of hearts drops unexpectedly.
What if West does reopen with a double? North and East pass, and if South does also the result could be -1400, better than a club slam for E/W. But South has a rare hand worth a rescue attempt: 1-5-6-1 shape. If nothing else, South should bid 2D, retreating to his longer suit; that strikes gold. More experienced players would redouble for "SOS", showing at least 5-5 in the two unbid suits (and no promise of strength whatsoever.) This hand is ideal for SOS, but in 35 years of duplicate bridge I've seen maybe one genuine SOS redouble. Most redoubles show strength, not weakness; it is only when that interpretation is implausible that SOS can be asssumed. Either way, N/S escape into their 11 card fit. East can bid 2S as discussed above and perhaps reach the good slam.
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Cabin Fever Sectional 1/18/2013
No online hand records or results -- don't we miss our Bridgemates?
Friday Afternoon:
Board 3: South passes and West opens either 1S or 2S with AKxxxx xx Qx Q109. You can certainly add a couple of points for the good six-card suit, and subtract one for the doubleton Queen. A classic method is to apply the Goren short-suit count, but don't count both high cards and short-suit points in the same suit; that makes this a 12-count, just shy of an opening bid. I wouldn't be influenced by the vulenrability -- it does not pay to open either or two bids lighter or heavier based on the vulnerability; nor does it pay to stretch to open a spade suit, surprisingly enough. (Apparently it's so easy to bid spades later that the cost in constructive bidding exceeds any preemptive effect of stretching to open spades.) So, take your pick, just as long as you don't pass!
With two quick tricks and the Q109 looking more like three points than two, I'd probably open 1S. North overcalls 2H and East must enter the bidding at an uncomfortable level with 3D. West rebids 3S; this is a forced bid, and might possibly not be six cards long (West may not have a heart stopper to bid 3NT on 5323 shape), but East hopes that the suit is sturdy in any case. Looking at Qx Q AKJ10xx Axxx, East counts four obvious "cover cards" (the Queen of partner's suit and AK-A in the minors), slam control of every side suit, and a good source of additional tricks in diamonds. Visualizing, slam looks excellent opposite, say, AKxxxx xx Qx xxx, which is not even an opening bid. So East is justified in driving to slam. If he can check on West's trump quality, he can decide between 6D and 6S.
Playing RKCB, most pairs would treat 4NT at this point as asking about the spade suit; West would reply 5H, two key cards without the Queen. There is some risk West might have Kxxxxx Ax Qx Kxx or the like; RKCB does not solve all isssues with the trump suit. It's better if the player with more than one trump honor does the asking. Some might try a jump to 5S, but when an opponent has bid a suit, that usually asks for control of that suit rather than trump quality. A 4C bid could easily be natural on a huge two-suited hand with heart-stopper or spade support; and on this sort of sequence I don't think 4D can be considered forcing. That leaves a 4H cue-bid -- obviously forcing, obviously a slam try, and most likely based on spade support. Unfortunately in the modern style it would not promise control of hearts, so West cannot launch into 4NT looking at two fast heart losers. West retreats to 4S and East has little alternative to proceeding with 4NT. West replies 5H (or 5D playing ordinary Blackwood.) East would like to offer a choice of slams, but 6D at this point might sound like "I was planning to bid diamonds all along" or " We're missing the Queen of spades." Well, nothing is perfect; as East I would bid 6S and cross my fingers that West either has the two top spades or one of them plus the Jack.
North leads two rounds of hearts, the second ruffed in dummy; West cashes dummy's Queen of trumps, crosses to the Queen of diamonds, pulls trumps and claims based on diamond tricks.
Board 8: West opens 1H on this powerhouse: Ax AKJ98 Jx AK9x . With five plus losers, game is unlikely if partner cannot respond to 1H, so there is no reason to open a forcing 2C. East has enough to invite game; either a direct 3H jump or 1S followed by 3H looks right on KQJxx 10xxx Ax 10x. Although it is almost always best to "support with support" and to choose a single bid that accurately describes your hand when one is available, the strong spades and poor hearts do make it possible that spades will be a better trump suit if partner can raise and has a source of tricks in the minors to pitch two or three hearts. Still, the odds are against such a combination and I think 3H is the practical bid here, especially if that promises four trumps.
West reads the jump raise as promising about 3.5 cover cards -- a simple raise is about 1.5 to 3, while a hand with 4 cover cards normally forces to game. The promise of four trumps insures the fourth club will not be a problem, but slam doesn't add up based on the loser-cover card method. By point count West can estimate his hand at about 21, adding for the fifth heart. The jump raise suggests 11 or 12 value in support, putting the hand right at the borderline of slam. As always, let's try visualising: slam would be a near laydown opposite, say, Kxxx QJxx Axx xx. West should therefore invite slam but be willing to stop at game if partner lacks enthusiasm.
After the jump raise, any new suit bid by opener is a control-cue-bid, inviting slam and showing at least second round control of the suit. My preference is to cue-bid Aces and Kings but not shortages, since partner's evaluation will be radically different holding AQx opposite Kx or x -- no difference in losers, but quite a difference in winners. West bids cue-bids 3S, which delights East; East cooperates with 4D and West, with control of clubs and good trumps, is justified launching into 4NT. East replies one Ace or key card. As grand slam seems unlikely given the original raise, West ends the bidding at 6S. Those playing the "1430" variation would have room to ask about the missing Queen of trumps: 4NT-5C; 5D-5H or 5S, whichever denies the Queen. The odds of dropping the Queen are about 52%, not enough to risk bidding 7 on a hand where many pairs will fail to reach even a small slam; nor would it be wise to bid 6NT, where a diamond lead and a heart loser could be fatal -- there are only ten top tricks if West take the normal play in hearts.
Against 6H North's best line does appear to be a diamond lead, hoping partner has the King and a trump winner. West grabs dummy's Ace, cashes the top trumps, and then tries three rounds of spades. South ruffs the third with his master trump but West dumps his diamond loser and twleve tricks roll home. Well bid and well-played!
Friday Afternoon:
Board 3: South passes and West opens either 1S or 2S with AKxxxx xx Qx Q109. You can certainly add a couple of points for the good six-card suit, and subtract one for the doubleton Queen. A classic method is to apply the Goren short-suit count, but don't count both high cards and short-suit points in the same suit; that makes this a 12-count, just shy of an opening bid. I wouldn't be influenced by the vulenrability -- it does not pay to open either or two bids lighter or heavier based on the vulnerability; nor does it pay to stretch to open a spade suit, surprisingly enough. (Apparently it's so easy to bid spades later that the cost in constructive bidding exceeds any preemptive effect of stretching to open spades.) So, take your pick, just as long as you don't pass!
With two quick tricks and the Q109 looking more like three points than two, I'd probably open 1S. North overcalls 2H and East must enter the bidding at an uncomfortable level with 3D. West rebids 3S; this is a forced bid, and might possibly not be six cards long (West may not have a heart stopper to bid 3NT on 5323 shape), but East hopes that the suit is sturdy in any case. Looking at Qx Q AKJ10xx Axxx, East counts four obvious "cover cards" (the Queen of partner's suit and AK-A in the minors), slam control of every side suit, and a good source of additional tricks in diamonds. Visualizing, slam looks excellent opposite, say, AKxxxx xx Qx xxx, which is not even an opening bid. So East is justified in driving to slam. If he can check on West's trump quality, he can decide between 6D and 6S.
Playing RKCB, most pairs would treat 4NT at this point as asking about the spade suit; West would reply 5H, two key cards without the Queen. There is some risk West might have Kxxxxx Ax Qx Kxx or the like; RKCB does not solve all isssues with the trump suit. It's better if the player with more than one trump honor does the asking. Some might try a jump to 5S, but when an opponent has bid a suit, that usually asks for control of that suit rather than trump quality. A 4C bid could easily be natural on a huge two-suited hand with heart-stopper or spade support; and on this sort of sequence I don't think 4D can be considered forcing. That leaves a 4H cue-bid -- obviously forcing, obviously a slam try, and most likely based on spade support. Unfortunately in the modern style it would not promise control of hearts, so West cannot launch into 4NT looking at two fast heart losers. West retreats to 4S and East has little alternative to proceeding with 4NT. West replies 5H (or 5D playing ordinary Blackwood.) East would like to offer a choice of slams, but 6D at this point might sound like "I was planning to bid diamonds all along" or " We're missing the Queen of spades." Well, nothing is perfect; as East I would bid 6S and cross my fingers that West either has the two top spades or one of them plus the Jack.
North leads two rounds of hearts, the second ruffed in dummy; West cashes dummy's Queen of trumps, crosses to the Queen of diamonds, pulls trumps and claims based on diamond tricks.
Board 8: West opens 1H on this powerhouse: Ax AKJ98 Jx AK9x . With five plus losers, game is unlikely if partner cannot respond to 1H, so there is no reason to open a forcing 2C. East has enough to invite game; either a direct 3H jump or 1S followed by 3H looks right on KQJxx 10xxx Ax 10x. Although it is almost always best to "support with support" and to choose a single bid that accurately describes your hand when one is available, the strong spades and poor hearts do make it possible that spades will be a better trump suit if partner can raise and has a source of tricks in the minors to pitch two or three hearts. Still, the odds are against such a combination and I think 3H is the practical bid here, especially if that promises four trumps.
West reads the jump raise as promising about 3.5 cover cards -- a simple raise is about 1.5 to 3, while a hand with 4 cover cards normally forces to game. The promise of four trumps insures the fourth club will not be a problem, but slam doesn't add up based on the loser-cover card method. By point count West can estimate his hand at about 21, adding for the fifth heart. The jump raise suggests 11 or 12 value in support, putting the hand right at the borderline of slam. As always, let's try visualising: slam would be a near laydown opposite, say, Kxxx QJxx Axx xx. West should therefore invite slam but be willing to stop at game if partner lacks enthusiasm.
After the jump raise, any new suit bid by opener is a control-cue-bid, inviting slam and showing at least second round control of the suit. My preference is to cue-bid Aces and Kings but not shortages, since partner's evaluation will be radically different holding AQx opposite Kx or x -- no difference in losers, but quite a difference in winners. West bids cue-bids 3S, which delights East; East cooperates with 4D and West, with control of clubs and good trumps, is justified launching into 4NT. East replies one Ace or key card. As grand slam seems unlikely given the original raise, West ends the bidding at 6S. Those playing the "1430" variation would have room to ask about the missing Queen of trumps: 4NT-5C; 5D-5H or 5S, whichever denies the Queen. The odds of dropping the Queen are about 52%, not enough to risk bidding 7 on a hand where many pairs will fail to reach even a small slam; nor would it be wise to bid 6NT, where a diamond lead and a heart loser could be fatal -- there are only ten top tricks if West take the normal play in hearts.
Against 6H North's best line does appear to be a diamond lead, hoping partner has the King and a trump winner. West grabs dummy's Ace, cashes the top trumps, and then tries three rounds of spades. South ruffs the third with his master trump but West dumps his diamond loser and twleve tricks roll home. Well bid and well-played!
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Monday evening, January 14th 2013
Right-click here for hands.
Board 2: East opens 1D; West has a wild 8-3-0-2 hand, worth a likely nine or ten tricks on its own. An opening bid will usually cover three or four losers, but wasted values in diamonds and the lack of first-round controls in West's side suits are not encouraging. The best plan is for West to show slam interest as quickly as possible and trust partner to carry on with the proper key cards (Aces and high trumps.) An immediate jump to 2S followed by repeated spade rebids looks right. over 2S, East rebids 2NT rather than mention the worthless clubs. A reasonable auction would begin 1D-2S; 2NT-3S. Now East should be comfortable with spades as trumps, but with three key cards should make a more forward-going bid than a simple 4S. 4H is a clear-cut slam try/control cue-bid: there would be no reason to suggest a new suit at this level, one that partner could easily have bid over 2NT. (Also, in North America, the usual rule is that the jump-shifter cannot have a side suit; I don't subscribe to that for two level jump shifts.)
The 4H bid is welcome news to West, whose club control insures there won't be two fast losers in any side suit. However, East skipped over clubs, so it appears there will be a sure loser there, and so the trumps need to be solid to make slam. Ordinary Blackwood won't help in a direct sense, though you might infer that if partner has only one Ace he is likely to have good trumps for his 4H bid. RKCB has the disadvantage of counting the wasted Ace of diamonds as a key card. Rebidding 4S sounds as though clubs are not under control, while a leap to 5S is ambiguous -- is that asking for a club control, or good trumps? I think 4NT is the practical bid, and if that's RKCB West should simply assume partner has the wasted Ace of diamonds if he shows two or more key cards.
East replies with two Aces (Blackwood), or "0 or 3" (RKCB or the 1430 variation.) In the first case West should retreat to 5S, expecting a trump loser. Playing RKCB, West continues with a Queen-asking bid. Over a 5C reply, that would normally be 5D, but here there is some risk partner might think that's natural. I think it's good it's a good policy not to use 5 of a major artificially if it could possibly be seen as natural, but when a major suit has been agreed (here, by way the 4H bid) we might play six of a minor but never five. So, 5D asks about the Queen and East denies it with either a "next step no" 5H or "agreed suit no" 5S according to style. Anyone playing RKCB should discuss this with partner, with the default agreement "next step no." West stops at 5S.
North leads the Queen of clubs, South wins the Ace and returns another club to West's King. Now West crosses to the King of spades, ruffs a diamond (safest) back to hand, cashes the Ace of spades and concedes a trick to the Queen, making five. Two declarers grabbed twelve tricks, presumably on a non-club lead.
Board 9: North, with 20 hcp and a solid six-card major has either a minimum 2C opening or an absolute maximum 1H. One consideration is your response scheme to 2C: those playing 2D negative or waiting or "steps" can plan to bid hearts twice over 2D, allowing responder to pass 3H with a trickless hand. However, that contract may fail for lack of an entry to finesse either King. Those playing 2H as a bust would likely have to pass 2H -- 3H must be forcing, 2C is forcing until opener rebids notrump or bids and rebids the same suit. Actually, that plan isn't too bad in this case, but it wrong-sides the contract. I'd open 1H; if that gets passed out there may not have been a game.
South responds 1S and now North must force to game, and, if possible, investigate slam prospects. A jump to 3H would show a hand at least a King weaker; jump rebids by opener after a one-level response aren't forcing aside from jump shifts. 3NT suggests the solid suit but might also be bid on a weaker hand. And of course 4H sounds like more playing strength (perhaps seven or eight hearts) without, again, implying this many hcp. That leaves a "manufactured" jump shift (3D or 3C). If partner is familiar with opener's rebid problems, he will not jump raise such a suit and you should be able to get the proper message across by rebidding the hearts next. If you're unsure what partner will think, 3NT seems the practical rebid, or perhaps opening 2C after all.
Over 3D, South rebids his good spades and North tries either 3NT or 4H. At matchpoints, it seems likely you can grab an extra trick in the trump contract, pitching a minor suit loser or two on partner's spades, with perhaps a ruff to help set up the suit. But there's always a risk of a defensive ruff. On today's hand East might not lead his singleton into North's jump-shift; otherwise the lead looks normal and the defense can collect two fast tricks against hearts.
If North opens 2C, South with a good suit and 9 hcp should give a positive response (2S, whether natural or 7-9 "steps") and drive to slam. A possible auction would be 2C-2S; 3H-3NT; 4H-4NT; reply and slam. Unfortunately I don't see a clear-cut reason to bid 6NT rather than 6H; the Jack of spades makes all the difference. One pair reached 6NT while most settled in 4H.
Board 13: North opens 1NT and South, with 15 hcp and 3361 shape, immediately thinks of slam. Should this be in diamonds or notrump? With a combined 30-32 hcp, a suit slam seems more likely; you may welcome the extra control or the chance to establish a long suit with a ruff. However, it isn't hard to visualize twelve running tricks at notrump if partner has the right cards. Next, South must consider what tools the partnership has for exploring slam in a minor suit. Possible methods include a simple jump in the minor, forcing to game and either unbalanced or with slam interest; this was the old default agreement, but SAYC treats these jumps as invitational to game, not forcing. In SAYC, you must bid Stayman first and then three of your minor, forcing. The disadvantage is that opener with both majors will show his second major at this point, which isn't of much interest to a responder with a long minor. All players should be familiar with the direct jump and Stayman-then-3C or 3D methods; don't drop the ball and pass!
A third approach involves some sort of minor suit transfers. The key to using minor suit transfers is and understanding of when responder bothers to show a minor. Three types of hands bother showing a minor: (1) a six-card suit and no game interest; three of the minor will generally play better than 1NT. (2) hands with game-going values but a small singleton -- five or six of a minor might make while 3NT fails. (3) hands with five or more in a minor and slam interest, whether balanced or not. What responder should NOT do is show a minor on the way to game on hand like Kxx xx AQJxxx xxx. With no singleton and no slam interest, just bid 3NT immediately. You cannot sensibly discover those rare hands that will make 5D because hearts or clubs are unstopped; and many of those hands will steal 3NT anyway if you don't give the enemy any clues on what to lead! Many players also include (4) a six-card minor headed by two of the top three honors and about 6 or 7 hcp. This is effectively the same as (1) unless opener "breaks transfer" to show a fitting honor and the expectation of running nine tricks.
The upshot is that after transferring, responder passes with type (1), bids his singleton with type (2), and rebids 3NT (slam invitational) or 4D (forcing) or 4NT (key card) with type (3). Today's hand has a singleton King; I usually treat such hands as "no singleton" since partner will misevaluate his hand if he thinks all your points are outside the short suit. South seems too strong to merely invite slam, so I would either transfer and raise to 4D (a slam try, not a passable game invitation!) or simply check on Aces via Gerber and then place the contract. With no control in hearts, transfer-then-4D is ideal, inviting opener to cue-bid controls. With three Aces and control of every suit, North could take charge with 4NT, but may not have enough information to decide between diamond and notrump slams, or between six and seven. If South can be coaxed into bidding 4NT your three Ace response will give him a near complete description of your values.
A complete auction: 1NT-3C (transfer); 3D-4D; 4H-4NT; 5S (3 Aces) or 5C (0-3 key cards, obviously not zero after the 4H bid); 5NT-6D (one King); 6NT pass. South cannot be sure of a 13th trick but 6NT should be easy. Two of six pairs reached slam, in diamonds.
Playing 2NT as a "two-under" transfer: 1NT-2NT; 3C (I see 9 tricks opposite KQxxxx)-4D, same as above. It won't matter that South plays the slam.
Board 26: Lots of variations; a reasonable auction might begin pass-1C-1D-1H; dbl*-2H-4S-?
*showing spades; penalty doubles at this level after partner has merely overcalled would be too rare to be useful. North's good shape suggests bidding 5H but half his values are in the enemy suit. 5H turns out to be a good sacrifice, but they can make 5S anyway.
At spades, how should West play the trumps? "Eight ever, nine never" as a guide to finding a Queen assumes no other information and no concern over which opponent might gain the lead. With nine trumps, playing for the drop will succeed about 52% of the time vs. 50% for the finesse -- basically, too close to call, not a rule to be followed blindly. The information here is contradictory; South opened the bidding, but having shown length in two suits is more likely to be short in spades. An opening diamond lead from North, smelling like a singleton, would confirm that impression and West should finesse -- if it loses, North won't have a trump left to ruff with. Also, if North doubles -- a mistake I made! -- West should finesse. On the Queen of hearts lead West may fall back on the nursery rhyme and play, unsuccessfully, for the drop.
Board 2: East opens 1D; West has a wild 8-3-0-2 hand, worth a likely nine or ten tricks on its own. An opening bid will usually cover three or four losers, but wasted values in diamonds and the lack of first-round controls in West's side suits are not encouraging. The best plan is for West to show slam interest as quickly as possible and trust partner to carry on with the proper key cards (Aces and high trumps.) An immediate jump to 2S followed by repeated spade rebids looks right. over 2S, East rebids 2NT rather than mention the worthless clubs. A reasonable auction would begin 1D-2S; 2NT-3S. Now East should be comfortable with spades as trumps, but with three key cards should make a more forward-going bid than a simple 4S. 4H is a clear-cut slam try/control cue-bid: there would be no reason to suggest a new suit at this level, one that partner could easily have bid over 2NT. (Also, in North America, the usual rule is that the jump-shifter cannot have a side suit; I don't subscribe to that for two level jump shifts.)
The 4H bid is welcome news to West, whose club control insures there won't be two fast losers in any side suit. However, East skipped over clubs, so it appears there will be a sure loser there, and so the trumps need to be solid to make slam. Ordinary Blackwood won't help in a direct sense, though you might infer that if partner has only one Ace he is likely to have good trumps for his 4H bid. RKCB has the disadvantage of counting the wasted Ace of diamonds as a key card. Rebidding 4S sounds as though clubs are not under control, while a leap to 5S is ambiguous -- is that asking for a club control, or good trumps? I think 4NT is the practical bid, and if that's RKCB West should simply assume partner has the wasted Ace of diamonds if he shows two or more key cards.
East replies with two Aces (Blackwood), or "0 or 3" (RKCB or the 1430 variation.) In the first case West should retreat to 5S, expecting a trump loser. Playing RKCB, West continues with a Queen-asking bid. Over a 5C reply, that would normally be 5D, but here there is some risk partner might think that's natural. I think it's good it's a good policy not to use 5 of a major artificially if it could possibly be seen as natural, but when a major suit has been agreed (here, by way the 4H bid) we might play six of a minor but never five. So, 5D asks about the Queen and East denies it with either a "next step no" 5H or "agreed suit no" 5S according to style. Anyone playing RKCB should discuss this with partner, with the default agreement "next step no." West stops at 5S.
North leads the Queen of clubs, South wins the Ace and returns another club to West's King. Now West crosses to the King of spades, ruffs a diamond (safest) back to hand, cashes the Ace of spades and concedes a trick to the Queen, making five. Two declarers grabbed twelve tricks, presumably on a non-club lead.
Board 9: North, with 20 hcp and a solid six-card major has either a minimum 2C opening or an absolute maximum 1H. One consideration is your response scheme to 2C: those playing 2D negative or waiting or "steps" can plan to bid hearts twice over 2D, allowing responder to pass 3H with a trickless hand. However, that contract may fail for lack of an entry to finesse either King. Those playing 2H as a bust would likely have to pass 2H -- 3H must be forcing, 2C is forcing until opener rebids notrump or bids and rebids the same suit. Actually, that plan isn't too bad in this case, but it wrong-sides the contract. I'd open 1H; if that gets passed out there may not have been a game.
South responds 1S and now North must force to game, and, if possible, investigate slam prospects. A jump to 3H would show a hand at least a King weaker; jump rebids by opener after a one-level response aren't forcing aside from jump shifts. 3NT suggests the solid suit but might also be bid on a weaker hand. And of course 4H sounds like more playing strength (perhaps seven or eight hearts) without, again, implying this many hcp. That leaves a "manufactured" jump shift (3D or 3C). If partner is familiar with opener's rebid problems, he will not jump raise such a suit and you should be able to get the proper message across by rebidding the hearts next. If you're unsure what partner will think, 3NT seems the practical rebid, or perhaps opening 2C after all.
Over 3D, South rebids his good spades and North tries either 3NT or 4H. At matchpoints, it seems likely you can grab an extra trick in the trump contract, pitching a minor suit loser or two on partner's spades, with perhaps a ruff to help set up the suit. But there's always a risk of a defensive ruff. On today's hand East might not lead his singleton into North's jump-shift; otherwise the lead looks normal and the defense can collect two fast tricks against hearts.
If North opens 2C, South with a good suit and 9 hcp should give a positive response (2S, whether natural or 7-9 "steps") and drive to slam. A possible auction would be 2C-2S; 3H-3NT; 4H-4NT; reply and slam. Unfortunately I don't see a clear-cut reason to bid 6NT rather than 6H; the Jack of spades makes all the difference. One pair reached 6NT while most settled in 4H.
Board 13: North opens 1NT and South, with 15 hcp and 3361 shape, immediately thinks of slam. Should this be in diamonds or notrump? With a combined 30-32 hcp, a suit slam seems more likely; you may welcome the extra control or the chance to establish a long suit with a ruff. However, it isn't hard to visualize twelve running tricks at notrump if partner has the right cards. Next, South must consider what tools the partnership has for exploring slam in a minor suit. Possible methods include a simple jump in the minor, forcing to game and either unbalanced or with slam interest; this was the old default agreement, but SAYC treats these jumps as invitational to game, not forcing. In SAYC, you must bid Stayman first and then three of your minor, forcing. The disadvantage is that opener with both majors will show his second major at this point, which isn't of much interest to a responder with a long minor. All players should be familiar with the direct jump and Stayman-then-3C or 3D methods; don't drop the ball and pass!
A third approach involves some sort of minor suit transfers. The key to using minor suit transfers is and understanding of when responder bothers to show a minor. Three types of hands bother showing a minor: (1) a six-card suit and no game interest; three of the minor will generally play better than 1NT. (2) hands with game-going values but a small singleton -- five or six of a minor might make while 3NT fails. (3) hands with five or more in a minor and slam interest, whether balanced or not. What responder should NOT do is show a minor on the way to game on hand like Kxx xx AQJxxx xxx. With no singleton and no slam interest, just bid 3NT immediately. You cannot sensibly discover those rare hands that will make 5D because hearts or clubs are unstopped; and many of those hands will steal 3NT anyway if you don't give the enemy any clues on what to lead! Many players also include (4) a six-card minor headed by two of the top three honors and about 6 or 7 hcp. This is effectively the same as (1) unless opener "breaks transfer" to show a fitting honor and the expectation of running nine tricks.
The upshot is that after transferring, responder passes with type (1), bids his singleton with type (2), and rebids 3NT (slam invitational) or 4D (forcing) or 4NT (key card) with type (3). Today's hand has a singleton King; I usually treat such hands as "no singleton" since partner will misevaluate his hand if he thinks all your points are outside the short suit. South seems too strong to merely invite slam, so I would either transfer and raise to 4D (a slam try, not a passable game invitation!) or simply check on Aces via Gerber and then place the contract. With no control in hearts, transfer-then-4D is ideal, inviting opener to cue-bid controls. With three Aces and control of every suit, North could take charge with 4NT, but may not have enough information to decide between diamond and notrump slams, or between six and seven. If South can be coaxed into bidding 4NT your three Ace response will give him a near complete description of your values.
A complete auction: 1NT-3C (transfer); 3D-4D; 4H-4NT; 5S (3 Aces) or 5C (0-3 key cards, obviously not zero after the 4H bid); 5NT-6D (one King); 6NT pass. South cannot be sure of a 13th trick but 6NT should be easy. Two of six pairs reached slam, in diamonds.
Playing 2NT as a "two-under" transfer: 1NT-2NT; 3C (I see 9 tricks opposite KQxxxx)-4D, same as above. It won't matter that South plays the slam.
Board 26: Lots of variations; a reasonable auction might begin pass-1C-1D-1H; dbl*-2H-4S-?
*showing spades; penalty doubles at this level after partner has merely overcalled would be too rare to be useful. North's good shape suggests bidding 5H but half his values are in the enemy suit. 5H turns out to be a good sacrifice, but they can make 5S anyway.
At spades, how should West play the trumps? "Eight ever, nine never" as a guide to finding a Queen assumes no other information and no concern over which opponent might gain the lead. With nine trumps, playing for the drop will succeed about 52% of the time vs. 50% for the finesse -- basically, too close to call, not a rule to be followed blindly. The information here is contradictory; South opened the bidding, but having shown length in two suits is more likely to be short in spades. An opening diamond lead from North, smelling like a singleton, would confirm that impression and West should finesse -- if it loses, North won't have a trump left to ruff with. Also, if North doubles -- a mistake I made! -- West should finesse. On the Queen of hearts lead West may fall back on the nursery rhyme and play, unsuccessfully, for the drop.
Monday, January 7, 2013
Monday January 7th, 2013
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Board 5: After three passes, West opens 1D and East responds 1S. (Advanced treatment: a better response would be 2S, promising a good passed hand with five spades and a fit for diamonds. All jumps by passed hands should be based on a good fit for partner's suit; if partner has opened light in third or fourth seat, the fit will compensate.)
West jumps to 2NT, showing a hand too strong to have opened 1NT originally (18-19, or perhaps 17 with a six-card suit.) Here most players have few clear agreements; East should show diamond support, but 4D bypasses game in notrump and might partner passs 3D? While it is possible to employ an artificial structure here (Wolff signoff is popular among experts) the simplest agreement is that everything except game bids are forcing. Another way to say that is "the only part-score we play after this bidding is 2NT." Responder needs very little to force to game; 7 hcp is plenty, even 6 may be enough. The only reason 2NT is not treated as forcing is that responder may have bid on a shapely 4 or 5 count, such as AJxxx xx xxx xxx. That has always been considered adequate for a one-level suit bid; only 1NT actually promises six points in high cards.
Why play everything forcing? Responder will far more often want to explore for slam or the best game than to find a better part-score than 2NT. Today's hand is an excellent example: responder bids 3D, natural and forcing; opener shows delayed support for spades; and responder raises to 4S. West may be tempted to continue with his wealth of controls, but partner has shown an unblanced hand and the AKJ of clubs may be somewhat wasted.
Slam can in fact be made by guessing the diamond suit, playing for the drop; but that's only a 52% shot and additional luck is required to avoid two spade losers. These two hands will produce slam less than 40% of the time.
Top scores went to 3NT making 6; the only pair to reach slam failed to make. I assume 1D-1S-2NT-3NT was a common auction, but with fairly minor changes in the East/West hands you'd much rather be in spades.
Board 9: North opens 1H. As South I'd like to jump to 2S, planning to bid notrump next; that seems an excellent description but in America a five card suit is usually required for a strong jump shift. Over the undescriptive 1S response, North is on the fence between rebidding 2H or 3H. The good cards in partner's suit probably tilted most players toward the more aggressive rebid; ten pairs reached slam. South has a problem, though; if he bids 4NT at this and partner shows only one Ace, there might be two fast losers in diamonds. South would like to start cue-bidding with 4C, but is that actually a cue-bid? I'd say yes: over North's jump rebid, it's highly unlikely the partnership would want to play in a third suit. But even experts sometime get crossed up on such "implied cue-bids" so I think for most pairs 4NT is the practical move. North shows two Aces or (playing RKCB) two Key cards plus the Queen of trumps, and South bids 5NT to confirm all the Aces (or all Key cards plus the Queen.) North shows one side King but I don't think either partner can count a sure 13 tricks. On a key card auction South can count 12 tricks at notrump, but there may be more chances for an overtrick at 6H. On today's hand, North can pull trumps, pitch his diamond loser on a club, and try a spade finesse for the thirteenth trick; at notrump, West would knowck out the Ace of diamonds and declarer would not want to risk the slam finessing for an overtrick.
Board 11: South opens 1C, North bids 1H, and East blasts to 4S. South has too much to sell out; I would double based on sheer strenght. While 4S might ocassionally make, it will more often be down two tricks. North, however, pulls to 5C on his high offense, low defense 0535 hand. Trusting that partner wouldn't risk the five level with two spade losers, South raises to slam. Should East sacrifice? I wouldn't -- the preempt already forced North and South to do some guessing. And bidding six spades just might chase them in to seven clubs!
Thirteen tricks are made easily in clubs. Against five or more spades, perfect defense would be for South to cash the Ace of hearts, Ace of diamonds, low diamond, and ruff out East's King of hearts; East must later concede another heart and scores only his eight trumps. In practice the defense may try to cash a club and lose the ruff; five declarers managed nine tricks and two scored ten at spade contracts.
Board 14: East opens 1D, West bids a spade, and East "reverses" to 2H. In the modern style this is forcing; West, however, has doubts about game, since his King of spades may be wastepaper (partner having shown nine or more cards in the red suits.) With most of my partners I play some form of lebensohol here; but the basic rule ought to be that opener promises a rebid. This allows responder room to bid naturally, exploring for the best strain and level without being forced to jump for fear of being dropped.
If all non-game bids are forcing, then it is logical that suit bids at the three level show more than a minimum responding hand. A good eight points is enough. Lacking that, responder must bid at the two level, either rebidding his own suit with five or more or, all else failing, bidding 2NT. And that's the lebensohl gadget: opener assumes that shows weakness and bids 3C with a typical minimum reverse; responder can then pass or correct to 3D or 3H.
On today's hand West bids 2S to slow the bidding down; East, however, has a prime 19 count and bids 3NT to insist on game. West then retreats to 4H to end the bidding. I suspect most pairs simply bid 1D-1S; 2H-3H; 4H which was good enough for today.
I don't know what South should lead. I would want to lead trumps to protect those diamond winners; but a singleton trump lead against a 4-4 fit often works badly. A diamond lead will likely blow a trick, a spade lead may set dummy's suit up, and underleading the club into East's announced strong hand does not seem promising. I'd probably try the trump.
As East I'd win and return a spade, hoping the Ace is onside and in any case preparing for a cross-ruff or to set up the suit. North wins and leads another trump; now declarer can score the two trump leads, his remaining four trumps, and three minor suit quick tricks -- one trick short! Better to hope for a good split in one of the long suits. Succesful declarers probably set up the spades, carefully avoiding any ruffs in dummy, but it seems a guess whether to try spades or diamonds.
Board 15: South opens 1D and North can show immediate slam interest with a strong jump to 2H. Oh, wait, in North America you aren't supposed to have a side suit when you jump shift. OK, 1D-1H; 2D-3C; 3H-? The bidding so far screams for a spade lead, so it would be highly unsound to bid 4NT at this point with no spade control. 4D should be a clear slam try, though perhaps unclear about which red suit you intend to make trumps. South can bid 4NT with greater confidence, as North should have a club control. Playing simple Blackwood, North shows one Ace and South raises to 6D; North, however, is likely to "correct" to 6H with his good trumps. Well, that would often be best but on today's hand the hearts break badly while the diamonds split 2-2.
Most pairs stopped at a reasonable 4H; several E/W pairs got active and played 4S or more. The defense can collect the obvious five winners; two pairs found the club ruff. If East or West does bid 4S, they should sell out to 5D or 5H; bidding 5S has multiple ways to lose: doubled for -800; they bid a slam and make; 5D was scoring worse than 4H; 5H was going down.
Board 20: West opens 1D. North should pass; an overcall should be based on a good hand or a good suit; it should aim to buy the contract, direct a lead, obstruct the opponents, or set up a possible sacrifice. This hand has nothing to recommend a bid. East responds 1H and West jumps to 2NT. 3D sould be forcing (see discussion for board 5) but East should be thinking slam in diamonds and a jump to 4D makes that clear. West uses 4NT and finsishes at 6D. Thirteen tricks come in when after declarer plays the top two trumps, the KQ of hearts and then the marked finesse when South shows out.
If North overcalls 1H, East bids 2H to show at least a limit raise in diamonds and West should drive to slam.
Board 5: After three passes, West opens 1D and East responds 1S. (Advanced treatment: a better response would be 2S, promising a good passed hand with five spades and a fit for diamonds. All jumps by passed hands should be based on a good fit for partner's suit; if partner has opened light in third or fourth seat, the fit will compensate.)
West jumps to 2NT, showing a hand too strong to have opened 1NT originally (18-19, or perhaps 17 with a six-card suit.) Here most players have few clear agreements; East should show diamond support, but 4D bypasses game in notrump and might partner passs 3D? While it is possible to employ an artificial structure here (Wolff signoff is popular among experts) the simplest agreement is that everything except game bids are forcing. Another way to say that is "the only part-score we play after this bidding is 2NT." Responder needs very little to force to game; 7 hcp is plenty, even 6 may be enough. The only reason 2NT is not treated as forcing is that responder may have bid on a shapely 4 or 5 count, such as AJxxx xx xxx xxx. That has always been considered adequate for a one-level suit bid; only 1NT actually promises six points in high cards.
Why play everything forcing? Responder will far more often want to explore for slam or the best game than to find a better part-score than 2NT. Today's hand is an excellent example: responder bids 3D, natural and forcing; opener shows delayed support for spades; and responder raises to 4S. West may be tempted to continue with his wealth of controls, but partner has shown an unblanced hand and the AKJ of clubs may be somewhat wasted.
Slam can in fact be made by guessing the diamond suit, playing for the drop; but that's only a 52% shot and additional luck is required to avoid two spade losers. These two hands will produce slam less than 40% of the time.
Top scores went to 3NT making 6; the only pair to reach slam failed to make. I assume 1D-1S-2NT-3NT was a common auction, but with fairly minor changes in the East/West hands you'd much rather be in spades.
Board 9: North opens 1H. As South I'd like to jump to 2S, planning to bid notrump next; that seems an excellent description but in America a five card suit is usually required for a strong jump shift. Over the undescriptive 1S response, North is on the fence between rebidding 2H or 3H. The good cards in partner's suit probably tilted most players toward the more aggressive rebid; ten pairs reached slam. South has a problem, though; if he bids 4NT at this and partner shows only one Ace, there might be two fast losers in diamonds. South would like to start cue-bidding with 4C, but is that actually a cue-bid? I'd say yes: over North's jump rebid, it's highly unlikely the partnership would want to play in a third suit. But even experts sometime get crossed up on such "implied cue-bids" so I think for most pairs 4NT is the practical move. North shows two Aces or (playing RKCB) two Key cards plus the Queen of trumps, and South bids 5NT to confirm all the Aces (or all Key cards plus the Queen.) North shows one side King but I don't think either partner can count a sure 13 tricks. On a key card auction South can count 12 tricks at notrump, but there may be more chances for an overtrick at 6H. On today's hand, North can pull trumps, pitch his diamond loser on a club, and try a spade finesse for the thirteenth trick; at notrump, West would knowck out the Ace of diamonds and declarer would not want to risk the slam finessing for an overtrick.
Board 11: South opens 1C, North bids 1H, and East blasts to 4S. South has too much to sell out; I would double based on sheer strenght. While 4S might ocassionally make, it will more often be down two tricks. North, however, pulls to 5C on his high offense, low defense 0535 hand. Trusting that partner wouldn't risk the five level with two spade losers, South raises to slam. Should East sacrifice? I wouldn't -- the preempt already forced North and South to do some guessing. And bidding six spades just might chase them in to seven clubs!
Thirteen tricks are made easily in clubs. Against five or more spades, perfect defense would be for South to cash the Ace of hearts, Ace of diamonds, low diamond, and ruff out East's King of hearts; East must later concede another heart and scores only his eight trumps. In practice the defense may try to cash a club and lose the ruff; five declarers managed nine tricks and two scored ten at spade contracts.
Board 14: East opens 1D, West bids a spade, and East "reverses" to 2H. In the modern style this is forcing; West, however, has doubts about game, since his King of spades may be wastepaper (partner having shown nine or more cards in the red suits.) With most of my partners I play some form of lebensohol here; but the basic rule ought to be that opener promises a rebid. This allows responder room to bid naturally, exploring for the best strain and level without being forced to jump for fear of being dropped.
If all non-game bids are forcing, then it is logical that suit bids at the three level show more than a minimum responding hand. A good eight points is enough. Lacking that, responder must bid at the two level, either rebidding his own suit with five or more or, all else failing, bidding 2NT. And that's the lebensohl gadget: opener assumes that shows weakness and bids 3C with a typical minimum reverse; responder can then pass or correct to 3D or 3H.
On today's hand West bids 2S to slow the bidding down; East, however, has a prime 19 count and bids 3NT to insist on game. West then retreats to 4H to end the bidding. I suspect most pairs simply bid 1D-1S; 2H-3H; 4H which was good enough for today.
I don't know what South should lead. I would want to lead trumps to protect those diamond winners; but a singleton trump lead against a 4-4 fit often works badly. A diamond lead will likely blow a trick, a spade lead may set dummy's suit up, and underleading the club into East's announced strong hand does not seem promising. I'd probably try the trump.
As East I'd win and return a spade, hoping the Ace is onside and in any case preparing for a cross-ruff or to set up the suit. North wins and leads another trump; now declarer can score the two trump leads, his remaining four trumps, and three minor suit quick tricks -- one trick short! Better to hope for a good split in one of the long suits. Succesful declarers probably set up the spades, carefully avoiding any ruffs in dummy, but it seems a guess whether to try spades or diamonds.
Board 15: South opens 1D and North can show immediate slam interest with a strong jump to 2H. Oh, wait, in North America you aren't supposed to have a side suit when you jump shift. OK, 1D-1H; 2D-3C; 3H-? The bidding so far screams for a spade lead, so it would be highly unsound to bid 4NT at this point with no spade control. 4D should be a clear slam try, though perhaps unclear about which red suit you intend to make trumps. South can bid 4NT with greater confidence, as North should have a club control. Playing simple Blackwood, North shows one Ace and South raises to 6D; North, however, is likely to "correct" to 6H with his good trumps. Well, that would often be best but on today's hand the hearts break badly while the diamonds split 2-2.
Most pairs stopped at a reasonable 4H; several E/W pairs got active and played 4S or more. The defense can collect the obvious five winners; two pairs found the club ruff. If East or West does bid 4S, they should sell out to 5D or 5H; bidding 5S has multiple ways to lose: doubled for -800; they bid a slam and make; 5D was scoring worse than 4H; 5H was going down.
Board 20: West opens 1D. North should pass; an overcall should be based on a good hand or a good suit; it should aim to buy the contract, direct a lead, obstruct the opponents, or set up a possible sacrifice. This hand has nothing to recommend a bid. East responds 1H and West jumps to 2NT. 3D sould be forcing (see discussion for board 5) but East should be thinking slam in diamonds and a jump to 4D makes that clear. West uses 4NT and finsishes at 6D. Thirteen tricks come in when after declarer plays the top two trumps, the KQ of hearts and then the marked finesse when South shows out.
If North overcalls 1H, East bids 2H to show at least a limit raise in diamonds and West should drive to slam.
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Friday, January 4th 2013
Right-click here for hands.
Board 5: What should North bid with his high-offense, low-defense 0274 freak? J1098xxx should produce 4+ tricks, and AJ9x in clubs two more; that's about six playing tricks and one defensive trick. A common guideline for preempting is that you should be within two tricks of your bid when vulnerable vs. not (the 4-3-2 rule for favorable, equal, and unfavorable vulnerability.) So 3D is highly aggressive, likely to produce a minus score if partner overbids, a large minus if partner is weak, or getting partner off to a bad lead if East declares. If you play a free-wheeling style for weak twos (6 points and 6 cards, with not much attention to suit quality) that seems a reasonable alternative; I prefer to have either a good hand or a good suit or both for my weak twos, so I think I would pass this one.
South therefore opens 1NT and West overcalls 2S. Did anyone pass West's hand? A six-card suit headed by the AJ or KQ or better and 8+ hcp should certainly be bid non-vulnerable; vulnerable, you'd like a bit more solidity in your suit, perhaps AJ10 or AJ98 to limit the damage if the suit breaks badly.
North evaluates game prospects: opener rates to have about 1/3rd of the outstanding high cards and better than two diamonds, so it's reasonable to assume at last Kx or Qxx in support. Likewise partner rates to have either the King or Queen of clubs but not both, and perhaps five points in each major. Many variations are possible but KQx AJxx Qxx Kxx looks plausible. The opening lead would set up spades before the diamonds could be established, so 3NT appears wildly optimistic. At a diamond contract you can expect to lose two trumps and either a heart or club or both. Perhaps partner has less in spades and more elsewhere, but game seems against the odds. I'd aim for a part-score in diamonds.
Standard methods, as discussed in the December 2012 Bridge Bulletin (Bridge Player's Survival Kit) specify that transfers are off, double is for penalty, 2NT is a natural game invitation, and three of a suit is forcing. Well! That doesn't allow competing in diamonds. A leap to five diamonds might work; if they don't double, set you one trick, and can make a spade partial, minus 100 may score well.
Advanced players give up the natural 2NT in these situations to allow competing in three of a suit: 2NT is "lebensohl", asking opener to bid 3C. Responder can then pass or correct to another suit, such as diamonds on today's hand. If the opponents compete to 3S, North can reasonably compete to 4D and double them at 4S. Another scheme is "Rubensohl" or "transfer lebensohl." Everything from 2NT to 3H is a transfer; so responder bids 3C to show diamonds. The biggest drawback to either of these methods is simply remembering them. With some partners I play that 2NT shows game values, but doubt about 3NT, and non-jump suit bids are simply competitive, whether at the two or three level. Any regular partnership should discuss interference over notrump and clearly agree what bids are forcing, merely competitive, and artificial.
What about stolen bid doubles? Those top every expert's list of most despised agreements; if you want transfers, play them at the three level as discussed above. Double is far more useful for penalty, negative or in-between (I like it to show 8+ balanced) than to save one step in your transfer scheme.
OK, let's say North/South are playing transfer lebensohl; North bids 3C to show diamonds. East knows his two red Kings may both be dead ducks, but chances are one will be well-placed or combine with the Ace or Queen in partner's hand, and Qxxx justifies a raise. 3S looks like enough. South, having described his hand with the 1NT opening, has nothing to add at this point -- partner is in charge. West also passes. Double by North needs to be penalty and 4C would show clubs, so North does best to simply bid 4D himself. (Yes, you may have a club fit, but bidding 4C sounds more like 5-5 than 7-4. Stick with the odds -- you KNOW you have 9+ diamonds.)
That really ought to end the bidding -- E/W cannot expect to make 4S and why rescue the opps from a minor suit part-score that migh not make, or chase them into a game that might? When the opps have the cards and land in four of a minor, let it go.
As it happens North loses only the top two trumps, but any plus score N/S scores well, beating the four pairs who failed at notrump and the one who let E/W steal game at four spades.
Suppose they do bid four spades and North doubles as I would recommend. North leads the Jack of diamonds, won in dummy to finesse in spades. West leads a low spade toward the Jack, needing only one finesse if South has Kx and unable to return to dummy if South has K10x and covers. South ducks, West notes the bad break, and is threatened with losing a trump, three hearts, and two clubs, -300 against what was going to be at best a part-score. Declarer wants South to lead a major, so he cashes the Ace of diamonds and exits a club. This gives North a near-perfect count on all the high cards, so North wins with the Jack of clubs and leads a heart through dummy. The badly placed ten, however, insures a heart trick for West, escaping for -100. This seems like a victory until the recap shows all those minus scores for N/S.
Bottom line: discuss with your partners how to handle interference over 1NT. If you do insist on those horrible stolen bid doubles, at least be clear what means what over 2S (and higher bids.) Nothing is worse than one player bidding a suit naturally and the other thinking it's a transfer. Never assume transfers (or practically any other gadget) are "on" over competition without explicit agreement!
Board 22: South opens 1D (or a "short club"); North responds 1S. On point-count and losing trick count South is worth 3S (17-19 value in support); but perhaps South needs to upgrade for his wealth of controls. Try visualising: can you construct a hand for partner with fewer than six high card points and no extreme shape that makes 4S a laydown? If so, bid game, don't invite. How about Qxxxx x xxx Qxxx (opposite AKxx A10xx Axx Kx) ? That seems to work, scoring four trumps in dummy, two red Aces, a club and three heart ruffs in declarer's hand. I think 4S would be well-judged.
Over to North; is 4S a "shut-out" bid? Novices are often scolded for not passing bids when they have already limited and described their hand; but that almost never applies to a responder who has made an unlimited, forcing bid. Four spades merely says "I think we have enough for game even if you are minimum." Responder should cut opener some slack for possibly stretching to game rather than settling for 3S, but responder is in no way barred from continuing if slam seems likely opposite opener's announced powerhouse. On today's hand you would certainly have bid 1S without, say, the King and Queen of diamonds. If that was partner's opening suit I think you are justified in assuming two additional tricks. However, you need partner to have at least three key cards for slam and two to survive the five level. You cannot assume all of partner's values are in high cards, but again over 1D you can be sure all your high cards are working, as well as any short suits in partner's hand. Still, slam appears to be a stretch and at matchpoints it pays to be cautious about slam. Turns out you didn't need to bid the slam: taking twelve tricks would tie for top. East leads the King of hearts and declarer arranges to ruff two hearts in his hand or two clubs in dummy before three rounds of trumps are played. If you think ahead, you'll need to ruff a heart in hand anyway, so ducking the first heart or winning and returning a heart looks best. Let's say you duck, win the second heart, ruff a heart (the lead wasn't likeey to be KQ bare, though that is a risk), cash the Queen of spades, cross with a trump and ruff the fourth heart. You hope, as here, that the player with fewer hearts has only two trumps; if not, you will still take eleven tricks unless someone had a singleton heart or a void elsewhere.
Board 5: What should North bid with his high-offense, low-defense 0274 freak? J1098xxx should produce 4+ tricks, and AJ9x in clubs two more; that's about six playing tricks and one defensive trick. A common guideline for preempting is that you should be within two tricks of your bid when vulnerable vs. not (the 4-3-2 rule for favorable, equal, and unfavorable vulnerability.) So 3D is highly aggressive, likely to produce a minus score if partner overbids, a large minus if partner is weak, or getting partner off to a bad lead if East declares. If you play a free-wheeling style for weak twos (6 points and 6 cards, with not much attention to suit quality) that seems a reasonable alternative; I prefer to have either a good hand or a good suit or both for my weak twos, so I think I would pass this one.
South therefore opens 1NT and West overcalls 2S. Did anyone pass West's hand? A six-card suit headed by the AJ or KQ or better and 8+ hcp should certainly be bid non-vulnerable; vulnerable, you'd like a bit more solidity in your suit, perhaps AJ10 or AJ98 to limit the damage if the suit breaks badly.
North evaluates game prospects: opener rates to have about 1/3rd of the outstanding high cards and better than two diamonds, so it's reasonable to assume at last Kx or Qxx in support. Likewise partner rates to have either the King or Queen of clubs but not both, and perhaps five points in each major. Many variations are possible but KQx AJxx Qxx Kxx looks plausible. The opening lead would set up spades before the diamonds could be established, so 3NT appears wildly optimistic. At a diamond contract you can expect to lose two trumps and either a heart or club or both. Perhaps partner has less in spades and more elsewhere, but game seems against the odds. I'd aim for a part-score in diamonds.
Standard methods, as discussed in the December 2012 Bridge Bulletin (Bridge Player's Survival Kit) specify that transfers are off, double is for penalty, 2NT is a natural game invitation, and three of a suit is forcing. Well! That doesn't allow competing in diamonds. A leap to five diamonds might work; if they don't double, set you one trick, and can make a spade partial, minus 100 may score well.
Advanced players give up the natural 2NT in these situations to allow competing in three of a suit: 2NT is "lebensohl", asking opener to bid 3C. Responder can then pass or correct to another suit, such as diamonds on today's hand. If the opponents compete to 3S, North can reasonably compete to 4D and double them at 4S. Another scheme is "Rubensohl" or "transfer lebensohl." Everything from 2NT to 3H is a transfer; so responder bids 3C to show diamonds. The biggest drawback to either of these methods is simply remembering them. With some partners I play that 2NT shows game values, but doubt about 3NT, and non-jump suit bids are simply competitive, whether at the two or three level. Any regular partnership should discuss interference over notrump and clearly agree what bids are forcing, merely competitive, and artificial.
What about stolen bid doubles? Those top every expert's list of most despised agreements; if you want transfers, play them at the three level as discussed above. Double is far more useful for penalty, negative or in-between (I like it to show 8+ balanced) than to save one step in your transfer scheme.
OK, let's say North/South are playing transfer lebensohl; North bids 3C to show diamonds. East knows his two red Kings may both be dead ducks, but chances are one will be well-placed or combine with the Ace or Queen in partner's hand, and Qxxx justifies a raise. 3S looks like enough. South, having described his hand with the 1NT opening, has nothing to add at this point -- partner is in charge. West also passes. Double by North needs to be penalty and 4C would show clubs, so North does best to simply bid 4D himself. (Yes, you may have a club fit, but bidding 4C sounds more like 5-5 than 7-4. Stick with the odds -- you KNOW you have 9+ diamonds.)
That really ought to end the bidding -- E/W cannot expect to make 4S and why rescue the opps from a minor suit part-score that migh not make, or chase them into a game that might? When the opps have the cards and land in four of a minor, let it go.
As it happens North loses only the top two trumps, but any plus score N/S scores well, beating the four pairs who failed at notrump and the one who let E/W steal game at four spades.
Suppose they do bid four spades and North doubles as I would recommend. North leads the Jack of diamonds, won in dummy to finesse in spades. West leads a low spade toward the Jack, needing only one finesse if South has Kx and unable to return to dummy if South has K10x and covers. South ducks, West notes the bad break, and is threatened with losing a trump, three hearts, and two clubs, -300 against what was going to be at best a part-score. Declarer wants South to lead a major, so he cashes the Ace of diamonds and exits a club. This gives North a near-perfect count on all the high cards, so North wins with the Jack of clubs and leads a heart through dummy. The badly placed ten, however, insures a heart trick for West, escaping for -100. This seems like a victory until the recap shows all those minus scores for N/S.
Bottom line: discuss with your partners how to handle interference over 1NT. If you do insist on those horrible stolen bid doubles, at least be clear what means what over 2S (and higher bids.) Nothing is worse than one player bidding a suit naturally and the other thinking it's a transfer. Never assume transfers (or practically any other gadget) are "on" over competition without explicit agreement!
Board 22: South opens 1D (or a "short club"); North responds 1S. On point-count and losing trick count South is worth 3S (17-19 value in support); but perhaps South needs to upgrade for his wealth of controls. Try visualising: can you construct a hand for partner with fewer than six high card points and no extreme shape that makes 4S a laydown? If so, bid game, don't invite. How about Qxxxx x xxx Qxxx (opposite AKxx A10xx Axx Kx) ? That seems to work, scoring four trumps in dummy, two red Aces, a club and three heart ruffs in declarer's hand. I think 4S would be well-judged.
Over to North; is 4S a "shut-out" bid? Novices are often scolded for not passing bids when they have already limited and described their hand; but that almost never applies to a responder who has made an unlimited, forcing bid. Four spades merely says "I think we have enough for game even if you are minimum." Responder should cut opener some slack for possibly stretching to game rather than settling for 3S, but responder is in no way barred from continuing if slam seems likely opposite opener's announced powerhouse. On today's hand you would certainly have bid 1S without, say, the King and Queen of diamonds. If that was partner's opening suit I think you are justified in assuming two additional tricks. However, you need partner to have at least three key cards for slam and two to survive the five level. You cannot assume all of partner's values are in high cards, but again over 1D you can be sure all your high cards are working, as well as any short suits in partner's hand. Still, slam appears to be a stretch and at matchpoints it pays to be cautious about slam. Turns out you didn't need to bid the slam: taking twelve tricks would tie for top. East leads the King of hearts and declarer arranges to ruff two hearts in his hand or two clubs in dummy before three rounds of trumps are played. If you think ahead, you'll need to ruff a heart in hand anyway, so ducking the first heart or winning and returning a heart looks best. Let's say you duck, win the second heart, ruff a heart (the lead wasn't likeey to be KQ bare, though that is a risk), cash the Queen of spades, cross with a trump and ruff the fourth heart. You hope, as here, that the player with fewer hearts has only two trumps; if not, you will still take eleven tricks unless someone had a singleton heart or a void elsewhere.
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Thursday, January 3rd 2013
Happy New Year! Right-click here for hands.
Board 3: West opens 1S and North overcalls 2D. East should raise spades immediately, and with only three trumps a simple 2S is enough for now. South and West pass, North re-opens with 3C. Now East competes with 3H, suggesting something like his 3-6 pattern. (With four spades and a long side suit he would've jumped to 3S or 4S earlier.) South comes alive with 4C. Despite 10 losers and only 6 hcp, partner rates to be able to cover all or all but one minor suit losers and one or two in the majors. West raises the hearts and North bids 5C, expecting it to be a make or a profitable sacrifice. East, however, can visualize practically this exact layout and bid 5H for a top, or double 6 of a minor for a good score.
Board 16: After three passes, South opens 2C; North replies 2D (negative, waiting, or waiting/game force) or 2H (steps, 4-6 hcp.) Over a negative or ambiguous 2D, South must leap to 3NT to insure game. That shows 26 or a good 24, so North can figure 32+ hcp. The spades are too anemic to mention in a slam auction; I'd raise to 4NT as a quantitative invitation. South accepts, bidding 6NT.
If North's bid shows some values, South can rebid a simple 2NT, and North transfers to show spades. South would like to show his terrific support and extra values -- how about 4S? 3S would be normal even with a doubleton and 22 hcp, so I think the "super-accept" sounds like a slam invitation. (With an even stronger hand South would simply accept the transfer and then continue beyond North's game bid.) North cue--bids 5C and South eagerly bid 6S. With a big fit and all the Aces and Key cards, 6S will often outscore 6NT via an overtrick.
West leads the ten of clubs, hoping for the Jack or King in partner's hand, and declarer quickly pulls trumps and crosses to dummy for the winning heart finesse. At 6NT, declarer will need an additional finesse (in hearts or diamonds) to make all the tricks. Four pairs missed slam so 6S making seven scores well and requires far less luck than thirteen tricks in notrump.
Board 18: East opens 2C. West, holding 13 hcp, will certainly drive to at least a small slam, but his suit lacks a top control. Responding in clubs will make it impossible to convince partner you are missing both the Ace and the King. I'd bid 2D as long as that isn't strictly negative. (Steps bidders, of course, respond an almost unheard-of 3C.) Over 2D East jumps to 3S to set the trump suit and request cue-bidding. West duly shows the Ace of diamonds and East proceeds with 4NT (Blackwood or RKCB.) West shows two Aces and East bids the obvious 6S. This turns out to be average: four pairs failed to bid slam and four bid a greedy 6NT, taking all the tricks when South fails to cash the Ace of clubs. Not sure what I would lead as South, especially if West bid clubs, but cashing an Ace is often best at matchpoints to stop the overtrick. On today's hand North signals with the ten and the defense collects the first two tricks.
Board 22: West opens 1C, North overcalls 1H and East doubles to show exactly four spades. South strains to raise in a competitive auction -- his four hcp in partner's suit are gold and he should be able to provide a black-suit ruff. West counts 5.5 club winners and 2.5 in the majors; if they lead a heart and partner can provide a fast trick or two (either black King or the Ace of diamonds) 3NT rates to have good chances. I would ignore the diamond singleton and blast 3NT. West holds up to the third round of hearts but can't keep North off lead for down one. Surprisingly, five clubs makes when the suit splits and the diamond finesse works -- not good odds at all.
Board 24: East opens 1H in third seat; should West respond 1NT or 2D ? Probably 2D as a passed hand, though I tend to be cautious with a singleton in partner's suit. (I would definitely choose 1NT as an unpassed hand.) East figures there's enough for game in notrump or diamonds; 3C shows his strength and invites partner to bid 3NT with spades stopped. Disaster -- West passes! Folks, a new suit by opener at the three level has ALWAYS shown a strong hand in Standard American and almost any other system. With a minimum hand, opener must rebid 2NT or anything up to and including two of his suit. That's why a sequence like 1H-2D-2H can't promise a six-card suit -- opener is forced to bid but may not be strong enugh to bid naturally if that would require a "High Reverse" bid such as 3C here.
OK, assuming West read the chapter on opener's rebids, he raises 3C to 4C. Although five of a minor is not a preferred contract, East decides slam is too dicey opposite a passed hand and 5C ends the bidding.
South leads the Jack of spades, North wins the King and notes declarer dropping the Queen. If legitimate, East's shape appears to be 1534, 1525, or 1624 -- but declarer might be false-carding from Qx. The diamonds look to behave well so it's vital for the defense to either cash winners or break up a cross-ruff. Partner does not rate to have an entry to lead a second trump, so I think I would try and cash a second spade. East ruffs and plays the Ace and King of trumps. When North shows out, declarer must establish the diamonds before finishing trumps -- if there's a diamond loser you'll need a trump to stop the spades. Ace of diamonds, diamond to the King sets up the suit; now the top two hearts, pitching a spade, and run the ten of clubs. South ducks and declarer must revert to diamonds, allowing South to ruff and holding declarer to eleven tricks. Well, a far-sighted declarer might've unblocked the ten of clubs at some point.
Three pairs stole game in notrump despite no spade stopper. Perhaps pass-1H; 1NT-2NT; 3NT. More and more I'm bcoming convinced that when you're on lead with AKxx in a suit, it may be best to cash the King and read partner's signal. This isn't standard and maybe it's wrong, but leading low from such a suit will, at best, break even if you can set up the fourth card in the suit. Let me know if you try this tactic and it either works or backfires.
Board 3: West opens 1S and North overcalls 2D. East should raise spades immediately, and with only three trumps a simple 2S is enough for now. South and West pass, North re-opens with 3C. Now East competes with 3H, suggesting something like his 3-6 pattern. (With four spades and a long side suit he would've jumped to 3S or 4S earlier.) South comes alive with 4C. Despite 10 losers and only 6 hcp, partner rates to be able to cover all or all but one minor suit losers and one or two in the majors. West raises the hearts and North bids 5C, expecting it to be a make or a profitable sacrifice. East, however, can visualize practically this exact layout and bid 5H for a top, or double 6 of a minor for a good score.
Board 16: After three passes, South opens 2C; North replies 2D (negative, waiting, or waiting/game force) or 2H (steps, 4-6 hcp.) Over a negative or ambiguous 2D, South must leap to 3NT to insure game. That shows 26 or a good 24, so North can figure 32+ hcp. The spades are too anemic to mention in a slam auction; I'd raise to 4NT as a quantitative invitation. South accepts, bidding 6NT.
If North's bid shows some values, South can rebid a simple 2NT, and North transfers to show spades. South would like to show his terrific support and extra values -- how about 4S? 3S would be normal even with a doubleton and 22 hcp, so I think the "super-accept" sounds like a slam invitation. (With an even stronger hand South would simply accept the transfer and then continue beyond North's game bid.) North cue--bids 5C and South eagerly bid 6S. With a big fit and all the Aces and Key cards, 6S will often outscore 6NT via an overtrick.
West leads the ten of clubs, hoping for the Jack or King in partner's hand, and declarer quickly pulls trumps and crosses to dummy for the winning heart finesse. At 6NT, declarer will need an additional finesse (in hearts or diamonds) to make all the tricks. Four pairs missed slam so 6S making seven scores well and requires far less luck than thirteen tricks in notrump.
Board 18: East opens 2C. West, holding 13 hcp, will certainly drive to at least a small slam, but his suit lacks a top control. Responding in clubs will make it impossible to convince partner you are missing both the Ace and the King. I'd bid 2D as long as that isn't strictly negative. (Steps bidders, of course, respond an almost unheard-of 3C.) Over 2D East jumps to 3S to set the trump suit and request cue-bidding. West duly shows the Ace of diamonds and East proceeds with 4NT (Blackwood or RKCB.) West shows two Aces and East bids the obvious 6S. This turns out to be average: four pairs failed to bid slam and four bid a greedy 6NT, taking all the tricks when South fails to cash the Ace of clubs. Not sure what I would lead as South, especially if West bid clubs, but cashing an Ace is often best at matchpoints to stop the overtrick. On today's hand North signals with the ten and the defense collects the first two tricks.
Board 22: West opens 1C, North overcalls 1H and East doubles to show exactly four spades. South strains to raise in a competitive auction -- his four hcp in partner's suit are gold and he should be able to provide a black-suit ruff. West counts 5.5 club winners and 2.5 in the majors; if they lead a heart and partner can provide a fast trick or two (either black King or the Ace of diamonds) 3NT rates to have good chances. I would ignore the diamond singleton and blast 3NT. West holds up to the third round of hearts but can't keep North off lead for down one. Surprisingly, five clubs makes when the suit splits and the diamond finesse works -- not good odds at all.
Board 24: East opens 1H in third seat; should West respond 1NT or 2D ? Probably 2D as a passed hand, though I tend to be cautious with a singleton in partner's suit. (I would definitely choose 1NT as an unpassed hand.) East figures there's enough for game in notrump or diamonds; 3C shows his strength and invites partner to bid 3NT with spades stopped. Disaster -- West passes! Folks, a new suit by opener at the three level has ALWAYS shown a strong hand in Standard American and almost any other system. With a minimum hand, opener must rebid 2NT or anything up to and including two of his suit. That's why a sequence like 1H-2D-2H can't promise a six-card suit -- opener is forced to bid but may not be strong enugh to bid naturally if that would require a "High Reverse" bid such as 3C here.
OK, assuming West read the chapter on opener's rebids, he raises 3C to 4C. Although five of a minor is not a preferred contract, East decides slam is too dicey opposite a passed hand and 5C ends the bidding.
South leads the Jack of spades, North wins the King and notes declarer dropping the Queen. If legitimate, East's shape appears to be 1534, 1525, or 1624 -- but declarer might be false-carding from Qx. The diamonds look to behave well so it's vital for the defense to either cash winners or break up a cross-ruff. Partner does not rate to have an entry to lead a second trump, so I think I would try and cash a second spade. East ruffs and plays the Ace and King of trumps. When North shows out, declarer must establish the diamonds before finishing trumps -- if there's a diamond loser you'll need a trump to stop the spades. Ace of diamonds, diamond to the King sets up the suit; now the top two hearts, pitching a spade, and run the ten of clubs. South ducks and declarer must revert to diamonds, allowing South to ruff and holding declarer to eleven tricks. Well, a far-sighted declarer might've unblocked the ten of clubs at some point.
Three pairs stole game in notrump despite no spade stopper. Perhaps pass-1H; 1NT-2NT; 3NT. More and more I'm bcoming convinced that when you're on lead with AKxx in a suit, it may be best to cash the King and read partner's signal. This isn't standard and maybe it's wrong, but leading low from such a suit will, at best, break even if you can set up the fourth card in the suit. Let me know if you try this tactic and it either works or backfires.
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