Thursday, July 24th 2014

Click here for results. Last I checked, the results were correct but the hands were wrong; I have edited those below to match the printed deal sheet.

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

South opens 1NT; North, with a flat 15, really has no slam interest and should simply raise to 3NT. Five of 13 pairs overbid to slam or 5NT. 30 - 32 hcp with no fit does not equal slam.

Board 11 South Deals None Vul	♠ Q 10 9 ♥ K J 10 6 2 ♦ 7 ♣ 9 7 5 3
♠ A J 4 3 2 ♥ 9 7 ♦ K 9 5 3 ♣ A K	N W E S	♠ K 6 ♥ Q ♦ A J 6 ♣ Q J 10 8 6 4 2
	♠ 8 7 5 ♥ A 8 5 4 3 ♦ Q 10 8 4 2 ♣

West opens 1S; East responds 2C. South may venture 2NT, not vulnerable, to show the red suits, but this seems as likely to give E/W a road map as to find a good sacrifice. Assuming South passes, West rebids 2D -- in any modern style, a new suit by opener is forcing after a 2/1 response, even if 2C is not played as a game force. (SAYC has responder promising a rebid after a 2/1, but most pairs make certain exceptions; I allow responder to pass a 2NT rebid by opener.) Making new suits forcing eliminates the need for opener to jump just to show mild extra values.

After 1S-2C; 2D, responder (with 13 hcp) must make sure of reaching game, but it isn't clear yet where the hand belongs: 3NT? 4S? 5C? 6C? Diamonds? Fourth suit artificial (2H) will keep the ball rolling. Lacking that gadget 5C is the practical bid, but the odds are very high you should be somewhere else. Here, West cannot move over 5C for fear of two quick heart losers.

So, 1S-2C; 2D-2H (artificial); 2S (nothing else to bid)-3C. No matter whether you play 4th suit forcing to game or one round, it is vital that this sequence be forcing -- since 3C last round would not have been forcing, the delayed sequence must be. Now 4C-4D (control bid); 4NT-5H/5C/5D (two Aces or 0 or 3 key cards per agreement)-6C is a plausible route to the good slam. Declarer ruffs the second heart and should try to set up a long spade rather than bank on one or the other finesse: King and Ace of spades, ruff a spade high, AK of clubs, diamond to hand, pull trumps and claim. If the spade could not be set up you could always try the diamond finesse later.

Playing 2/1 game force, responder simply rebids 3C. Opener may stall with the fourth suit (3H), and responder continues with 3S. This suggests a doubleton honor as responder would've supported earlier with three trumps. Four spades might be the best game but opener has excellent controls so 4C seems right. Responder can control-bid 4D but whether slam will be reached or not looks to involve some guesswork.

If South buts in with 2NT over 2C, West should double to show extra values. North leaps to 4H and East must guess: 4S? 5C? 6C? Slam looks like a stretch missing four key cards, so 5C may end the bidding. 5C was the popular contract and declarer needed twelve tricks for a good score.

Board 16 West Deals E-W Vul	♠ Q J 10 9 6 ♥ A 8 ♦ Q ♣ A K 10 9 7
♠ K 4 3 ♥ J 9 2 ♦ 10 9 8 5 ♣ 8 3 2	N W E S	♠ 8 5 2 ♥ Q 10 4 3 ♦ 7 3 2 ♣ J 6 4
	♠ A 7 ♥ K 7 6 5 ♦ A K J 6 4 ♣ Q 5

North opens 1S. Some might prefer 1C but the question I always ask myself is if I would be comfortable bidding spades for the first time at the four level! East might get in the bidding with a red suit overcall or Unusual Notrump and West might be able to leap to 4D or 4H. If you could count on  a free run 1C makes it easy to describe the 5-5 by bidding and rebidding spades; this is the only pair of suits where you might open the lower ranking on 5-5, but I rarely do so.

South responds 2D and North rebids 3C. Such a new suit by opener at the three level is known as a "high reverse" and is forcing to game in standard methods, but where 2D promises 11 or a good 10 opener may have as little as 14 hcp. Playing 2/1 game force, opener's 3C bid might not require extras, but I (and Mike Lawrence) think it is important to clarify opener's strength as well as shape. I play 3C here as promising 15+ and would "mark time" with a 2S rebid if I had the same shape and only 11-14 hcp.

OK, South can add his 17 to opener's 14 or 15 depending on style; there may be a slam but as yet no fit has appeared and the total may be less than the 33 recommended for 6NT. A 3NT bid at this point would give up on slam, so responder may stall with a 4th suit 3H. Having shown most of his shape and strength and with a stopper in hearts, North bids 3NT -- 4C would risk missing the boat. Now South can bid an invitational 4NT. If North decides to accept 6C looks right, completing the description of his shape and offering a choice of slams. Responder chooses 6NT.

Three pairs bid slam; no declarer claimed 13 tricks. The risk is that if you try the clubs and suit does not split, then try the spade finesse, you could go down; while simply giving up a spade insures 12 tricks. Despite 33 hcp this does not look all that easy to bid and I think it's right to play safe to make.