Friday, February 15th 2013

Nine slams! Right-click here for hands.

Board 1: North opens 1C, 1D or perhaps 1NT (1444 with a stiff Ace.) I would probably choose 1D, allowing for an easy 2C rebid. Negative doubles will help uncover a heart fit if the enemy bids spades. East either preempts 3S or passes; I would not bother with a 2S jump on such a weak hand. Only 3 hcp and poor 7222 shape, but not vulnerable and a decent K109xxxx suit. I tend not to open such hands in first or second seat, as I feel partner may suffer more than the enemy, but once they've opened partnerr is less likely to have a good hand and preempting seems fine. This is a four-trick overbid but the hand has all offense, zero defense, so if they actually set you four tricks doubled they may well have misssed a slam.

South has a real problem over 3S: no spade stopper and no heart suit for a negative double, but 12 hcp is too much to pass, and the shortage in spades means you can't count on partner backing in (he is less likely to be short also.) South can bid 4C, 4D if that's what partner opened, or force to game with 4S. The hand does not look strong enough for 4S so I'd settle for 4 of partner's suit (chances are much higher he has four of them in light of the preempt.)

West has a fit, some offensive values, and little defense against either minor. Bidding 4S rates to chase them into a game or slam you can't beat; it may, however, deprive North of a 4S cue-bid. Since it feels like they have  slam, I'd try 4S, planning to sell out to anything they bid.

North has a fistful of quick tricks but no great shape; I'd take the money at 4S doubled. If partner overuled my by pulling the double, I'd bid slam. N/S collect six tricks on defense for +500 and a near top; only one pair bid slam, possibly against less aggressive E/W bidding.

Board 3: West opens 1D. East has a powerful hand, but only 14 hcp, a broken suit and the void opposite partner suggests a simple 1S response rather than a strong jump shift. West rebids 2C which greatly improves East's hand. East counts five losers and can hope to pitch a heart on something in diamonds. Slam looks good opposite something like Kx xx Axxxx AJxx. East can show the fit and slam interest by jumping to 4C; with merely game interest East should not rule out 3NT. I think, however, a "scientific" 2H bid may be best -- most play this as potentially artificial (the "fourth suit" gadget.) I recommend playing this as game-forcing. One consideration is that East's clubs are really too poor to insist on slam.

West alerts 2H and rebids his chunky diamonds. East can now rebid spades, forcing, and West raises to game. Qx is plenty of support at your third opportunity: West denied four spades by not raising immediately, and with three would certainly have taken a preference to 2S over 2H.

Should East continue or be satisfied with 4S? West's diamond bids are discouraging, and overall I don't think East should risk another bid. In fact, slam requires luck in both black suits and +680 ties for top score. In a team game against a stronger team you might gamble on slam, but at matchpoints it's better not to risk the five level if you do not clearly have the values for slam.

Board 4: West opens 1D -- even if you normally require 12 hcp for an opening bid, you should certainly upgrade for the powerful six-card suit and all those tens. East responds 1S.  West has a wealth of playing strength, but a leap to 3S or 4S risks sounding like more high cards. I think 2S is practical; this is unlikely to be passed out and you may be better able to judge what to do with more information. 3S is also reasonable on values.

East has a clear raise to game, which could be a laydown opposite as little as KJxx x Axxxx Kxx. The singleton in partner's suit isn't ideal, but the side Axx suggests you may be able to use diamond values for discards. I think West should pass this, but if East makes any sort of game try or even merely competes to 3S West should bid game.

If West raises to 3S rather than 2, East should picture a shapely hand (given the failure to open 1NT.) Slam is possible but duplication of values in diamonds seems likely. I'd settle for game as East, but a 4C control cue-bid would not be outrageous. No one bid slam, and making twelve tricks requires guessing the King of diamonds -- on today's hand, the ruffing finesse against North works. I assume the 2D players opened a weak two as West -- not recommended with such good spades.

Board 5: North opens one heart; East should pass or jump to 3C -- this poor, Aceless 8 count with wasted values in the enemy suit is certainly not worth a two level overcall even at favorable vulnerability. Assuming 1H-pass-pass, West re-opens with a double. North is strong and shapely enough to compete with 2D despite partner's pass and the adverse vulnerability. East competes, either in spades or perhaps 3C, planning to bid 3S later (suggesting this sort of 4-6 hand.) South, havng passed, can come alive with his double fit. The vulnerability argues against anything higher than 3H.

OK, let's assume 1H-p-p-dbl; 2D-3C-3H-? West bids 3S, trusting partner won't pass after bidding 3C freely. East raises to 4S and West leaps to 6C; East corrects back to 6S, trusting partner to have good spades for his double-then-bid-a-suit sequence.

If instead the bidding starts (1H)-p-(p)-dbl; (2D)-2S-(3H)-? West may continue with 4H, but I don't know that East would continue toward slam. If South remains silent due to the vulnerability, West can splinter in hearts:
(1H)-p-(p)-dbl; (2D)-2S-(p)-4H would clearly show spade support, slam interest and 0-1 hearts.  East could then reasonably proceed with 4NT (RKCB): 4NT-5C (0 or 3, obviously not 0 given the strong bidding); 5D-5S or 5NT (Queen ask; yes = second step or anything but 5S)-6S. Two pairs reached this excellent slam.

Board 6: East opens 1S; West has more than enough for a strong jump to 3D, but can easily drive to slam without that tool. A possible 2/1 game force sequence might begin 1S-2D; 3C-3S; 4S and West hasn't really learned anything except to hope East has a club control or his bid discourages such a lead. So, 4NT-5H (2 key cards, no Queen); 5NT-6D; 6S. West can count 11 obvious tricks and expect to set up the fifth diamond; with all the Aces and top trumps 6S is a better matchpoint shot than 6NT, as the trump suit may help set up an overtrick or prevent multiple undertricks. Thirteen tricks roll in when the Queen of clubs drops, but the only pair to bid a grand failed to make it. Top score went to 6NT but that would be a scary contract on a heart lead. No need to be greedy in the bidding -- 6S making 7 was worth 70% of the matchpoints.

Board 7: Was the dealing machine stuck or what? Nah, just a fluky day. South opens either 2NT or 2C, upgrading for the strong spades along with three Aces. Over 2NT, North bids 3C (Stayman) and then 4C, natural and forcing. Any other interpretation makes this sort of hand a nightmare to bid; my usual agreement is that 4C is Gerber if and only if it is a direct jump over partner's 1NT or 2NT. South shows his slam interest with a 4D control cue-bid, implicitly showing support for clubs. A player who opens in notrump does NOT start bidding suits, uninvited, at the four level. Lacking control of hearts, North retreats to 5C, but South has too many controls to settle for that and raises to 6C.

If South opens 2C, North bids a natural, slam-positive 3C, suggesting 8+ hcp and a fair 5+ card suit. Those who play 2D "waiting" should especially strain to bid 3C, as clubs on the next round would usually be an artificial "second negative". "Steps" bidders, of course, respond 2NT to show 10-12 hcp.

After 2C-3C, South may as well show his spades, planning to drive to slam in one black suit or the other. North, having shown a positive hand, simply bids 3NT to deny a fit for opener. South bids 4C to set trumps and basically avoids making any bid that could be passed short of slam. 6C looks right as the spade suit may be establishable by way of a ruff or two; but with 11 hcp North corrects to the higher-scoring 6NT.

Board 11: North opens 1H and East ponders how to launch his 23 hcp monster. One approach would be to start with a takeout double, but it will be hard to show both suits. A Michaels cue-bid shows five spades and a five-card minor; East can then hope to show his strength with additional cue-bids, but ultimately he will probably have to guess how high to bid. The Queen of hearts is something of a liability, since North will have other values for his opening bid and partner is probably broke.

Some brave souls will leap to 4H with South's zero-point wonder, based on the known 5-5 fit; but I suspect this will often help E/W evaluate their cards. Assuming South passes, West bids 2S. Since he did not ask for East's minor, I think 3D by East should be strong and forcing; West should like his double-big-fit hand enough to jump to game. I would treat East's 3D bid as equivalent to a 1S opening, 2S raise and 3D game try -- and West can reasonably expect to provide three tricks. East bids 4NT and ends the bidding at 6S after the one-Ace or keycard reply.

Board 12: North opens 1C; East may overcall 1D (not vulnerable.) This bid takes up little room but may direct a good lead or allow partner to raise. Over a pass, South has a fine strong jump to 2S; in competition, however, most play weak jump shifts so South bids a simple 1S. North rebids 1NT and South forces with 2D, either a cue-bid or, if East passsed originally, "New Minor Forcing", showing at least game-invitational values and 5+ spades. North bids 2H (South could be 5-4.) South could now bid 3C, forcing (since 3C last round would have invitational) but he cannot reasonably expect any enthusiasm from his control-poor partner. Better is a jump to 4C, forcing with slam interest. North's failure to bid 2S suggests a doubleton AND therefore four clubs; the spade suit can be set up via ruffs. South must leap to 6C or bid something he is confident partner won't pass. One pair reached the excellent 5-2 spade slam; two made all thirteen tricks at 6C when East failed to lead his Ace of diamonds.

Board 18: East opens 2C; West is a bit below the usual 8 hcp for a slam-positive response and so replies 2D (negative, waiting or semi-positive) or a "steps" 2H (4-6 hcp.) East has an awkward hand for 2C: no five card major or six card minor, yet unbalanced. I think the overwhelming majority of experts would treat the hand as balanced (thanks ot the stiff Ace) and rebid either 3NT or 2NT if partner's bid promised some values.

2C-2D (negative or waiting); 3NT-4H (transfer, "systems on" since the first two bids were artificial and notrump was the first natural bid for our side); double by North (lead-directing); 4S by East (who would pass over the double with only two spades; partner can redouble to insist on the transfer.) West has the values for slam but lacks side controls, especially in the doubled suit (hearts); a raise to 5S invites slam if partner controls hearts. East not only controls hearts but everything else in sight; partner must have good spades for his slam try so a move toward grand slam is justified. East either leaps to 7S or trots out 5NT as the Grand Slam Force. No one reached the excellent grand and two pairs languished at 3NT.

2C-2D (semi-positive) or 2H (steps, 4-6); ? After a semi-positive, game-forcing response, East can bid 2NT on a wider range, allowing West more room to explore for the best contract. I would assume 2NT = 22-27 and 3NT = 28-30 (virtually a slam force) but discuss this with partner. After 2C-2D-2NT, West may have available both a Jacoby transfer (3H) and Texas (4H.) Texas is used when responder has six or more trumps and is sure about level: either definitely game or definetely slam. Over the wide-ranging 2NT, West is uncertain about level and so should plan a 3H-then 4S sequence to invite slam. North doubles hearts, of course; East bids 3S and continues toward slam after West's raise. If Texas transfers are not in the arsenal (don't think you must play them, they are quite rare) North should "super-accept" by leaping to 4S, which should inspire West to try 5S.