Sunday, March 24th 2013

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Board 14 East Deals None Vul	♠ K Q 10 9 3 2 ♥ Q J ♦ Q ♣ A 10 8 3
♠ A 8 7 4 ♥ K 10 8 2 ♦ 6 ♣ K 6 5 4	N W E S	♠ J ♥ 9 7 5 3 ♦ J 10 8 5 4 3 ♣ 9 7
	♠ 6 5 ♥ A 6 4 ♦ A K 9 7 2 ♣ Q J 2

North opens 1S; South either responds 2D or leaps to 3NT. I don't care for "limit" jumps in notrump; what does partner do with an unbalanced hand? With both unbid suits and 10 hcp West can double 2D for takeout. North rebids his spades. East has little strength but some shape; they surely have a spade fit so there is some temptation to compete with 3H. However, partner's original pass marks N/S with more than enough for game; this isn't a part-score battle and East cannot expect 5H to be a paying sacrifice -- not enough trumps. North's free rebid of his suit does not show any extra strength but does promise six spades, so South raises to 4S. The spade Jack drops early, the club finesse works as expected and so South easily wraps up twelve tricks, but I can't see bidding more than game here -- the ten of clubs is a big card and you need luck in both black suits. Three notrump earns a matchpoint top but the 6-2 fit will more often provide an extra trick; both North and South had something extra and the spade suit was easily established so trumps were not needed, but I think 4S is the proper target here.

Board 15 South Deals N-S Vul	♠ A 9 8 5 2 ♥ A 10 5 ♦ A ♣ K J 10 4
♠ 7 4 3 ♥ 6 3 2 ♦ 10 7 6 5 4 2 ♣ 3	N W E S	♠ Q J 10 6 ♥ K Q 7 4 ♦ K J ♣ 7 5 2
	♠ K ♥ J 9 8 ♦ Q 9 8 3 ♣ A Q 9 8 6

South's stiff King is an obvious flaw, but with 12 hcp including an Ace I would never pass -- if partner heads for notrump or spades the King will pull it's weight, while the shape may be useful with any other suit as trumps. I do not see this hand as weaker than 2-3-4-4 with the same high cards. South opens 1C and North should be thinking about slam with his control rich 16 count, club fit and side singleton. The stiff Ace may not be the most useful card (little combining power and duplication of control values with the singleton) but if partner happens to have diamond strength he may be able to pitch hearts. An excellent hand for a strong jump to 2S followed by club support. A reasonable (if cautious) auction: 1C-2S; 2NT-3C; 3D-3NT; pass. Note that, with a minor suit fit, 3D should be taken as a notrump probe, not a control bid; the "game before slam" principle requires us to discover whether notrump is playable when we have a minor suit fit.

If South dislikes bidding notrump with Jxx in a side suit and/or the stiff spade, he may rebid 3C and I think North can drive to slam based on the nine-card fit.

Should North be more aggressive over 2NT? He could jump to 4C, or repeat the clubs over South's 3D; the problem is I don't see enough tricks if South has only four clubs. (Three is not possible since South would have at least three-card spade support.) Every high card North has is pure gold, but I can't see 12 tricks opposite, say, Kx Q9x J9xx AQxx , and even 4NT or 5C may be in jeopardy. No pair reached slam on the combined 28 hcp; five clubs making six would score poorly.