Friday, November 15th 2013

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

South opens 1NT; how should North proceed with 16 hcp? With a combined total of 31-33, North should want to explore for a suit slam – there may not be enough tricks for 6NT. However, if partnership methods are uncertain, I would simply leap to 6NT, hoping for help from the diamond suit. Some possible methods for investigating a diamond slam:

 

(1) a direct leap to 3D, natural, game-forcing, unbalanced and/or slammish;

(2) using 2NT or 3C as a transfer to diamonds, followed by 4NT asking for Aces or Key cards – transfer-then-3NT would invite slam, so 4NT should be control asking;

(3) Stayman followed by 3D, equivalent to (1) but with some ambiguity about whether responder has a major suit.

 It’s important not to redefine each of these sequences at random – be sure you have a clear way to suggest slam in each of the four suits.

 Using the normal 3D forcing jump, South bids 3H to show a concentration of strength in case North has a singleton there and is worried about playing notrump. North bids 3S to keep things rolling; this initially sounds like North is worried about the unbid suit, clubs. South covers the clubs and so bids 3NT, expecting North to have a hand like Axx xxx AKxxxx x . Any bid beyond 3NT, however, makes it clear North is aiming for slam. North bids 4C now, a control cue-bid. South likes his controls but is concerned about trumps. 4D kicks the ball back to partner. It’s tempting to bid 4NT now, especially if that’s RKCB, but there won’t be room to find out about the Queen of trumps. Under the assumption that South’s 3H bid effectively showed a control 4S at this point suggests some other problem. South can bid 4NT and guess to sign off when North shows three key cards – if North had enough strength for slam and three key cards and the Queen he would’ve bid RKCB himself.

6D is obviously doomed; with no strong suit, perhaps 6NT was best after all. Against 6NT West leads the King of diamonds. South counts ten top winners; the hearts might provide one more. For a 12^th declarer will need to hope for a squeeze or defensive error in the minors, or a lucky J109 tight in clubs.

Declarer ducks the first diamond to “rectify the count”: squeezes are generally easier when you’ve lost all the tricks you can afford to lose. Winning the second diamond, South has to plan ahead – cashing spades forces declarer to pitch. If he pitches his last diamond he’ll need to keep an entry to dummy later if the squeeze works. It looks right to play hearts, then spades, then clubs. Ace, Queen, low heart – drop or finesse? The standard play is the drop, but you need West to have both minors for the squeeze, so finesse East in hearts. Success; West pitches a diamond. On the fourth heart West parts with a spade and dummy pitches a diamond. Now three rounds of spades (pitching South’s last diamond) and West is cooked. The Jack of diamonds would be too obvious, but after West drops a club declarer wins four tricks in the suit. All declarer really needs to watch for is the Jack of diamonds; if West doesn't pitch that, the clubs either run or they don't.

 Did you stop in a notrump game? Then you should not play for there to be 12 tricks – you’d lose to anyone bidding and making slam. Surrender two diamonds and claim 11 tricks; +660 would've beat 7 of 9 scores.

Board 17 North Deals None Vul	♠ 8 3 ♥ A J 4 ♦ A J 9 8 7 6 ♣ 7 4
♠ A J 5 4 ♥ K Q 7 6 3 ♦ K 4 ♣ A K	N W E S	♠ K 10 9 7 ♥ — ♦ 10 5 2 ♣ Q J 10 8 6 3
	♠ Q 6 2 ♥ 10 9 8 5 2 ♦ Q 3 ♣ 9 5 2

North opens 2D, weak, if not playing Flannery or Mini-Roman or whatever. I have yet to see a better use for the bid than the simple 2D, preempting both majors. After two passes, West doubles, planning to show his strong hand by bidding hearts next. The King of diamond is probably under the Ace but that still leaves 17 working hcp. Allowing an average of 8 points for North, there are 12 outstanding or around 6 for partner.

East has an awkward hand – if partner has four spades, East is worth a jump; but opposite only three it would be better to show clubs. I would be inclined to try 3C and hope to show the spades later – either partner or South may bid again. There is a risk partner will not believe you have four spades but I think bidding the long suit first is sound on this sort of 4-6 hand. West rebids 3H as planned and then raises East’s 3S to game.

The defense takes two diamonds and, playing the partner of the preemptor for trump length, East takes the remaining tricks. 6S or 6C can be made from West’s hand, with the King of diamonds protected on the opening lead, but there does not seem a practical way to right-side this one and slam does require reasonable breaks and finding the Queen.

 

Board 27 South Deals None Vul	♠ 7 4 3 ♥ 7 ♦ A Q J 6 4 2 ♣ J 7 6
♠ 9 8 6 ♥ A K J 8 ♦ K 3 ♣ K 10 5 3	N W E S	♠ 10 5 2 ♥ 10 5 4 3 ♦ 9 7 ♣ Q 8 4 2
	♠ A K Q J ♥ Q 9 6 2 ♦ 10 8 5 ♣ A 9

South opens 1NT and North should simply blast 3NT. Don’t fool around with a minor suit transfer or SAYC-type invitation – if the diamonds don’t run, 5D won’t make, but odds are better than 2 to 1 partner or West has the King. Add the King of clubs to North’s hand and I would bid a strong 3D or transfer to diamonds, then rebid 3H to show the singleton, depending on partnership methods. When partner opens 1NT, trot out your minor-suit gadgetry when you have a weak hand or an opening bid. In the 8-10 range just raise to 3NT.

Several declarers managed 12 tricks, probably on a low heart lead. With three honors in a suit, it is rarely correct to lead a low card; from AKJx the standard lead is the King. (See the Lead vs. Notrump section on your convention card.) East may as well encourage with the 5; no shift is apt to be better. -460 salvages an average for the defense.