| Board 1 North Deals None Vul |
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North opens 1C, planning to reverse into diamonds, or 1NT, trying to describe and limit the hand quickly. The hand has a lot of slam potential if partner has a fair hand and a minor suit, so I'd lean toward 1C -- most pairs do not have many tools for exploring the minors after 1NT. East might try a weak jump to 2S, but I don't recommend it with such a minimal hand and suit and more points outside than inside the long suit. South responds 1H, West overcalls 1S and North rebids 2D as planned. Now East comes alive with a jump to 4S. Whether or not partner can make that contract East should not want to defend at any lower level.
The East/West interference denies South the leisure to check on a heart fit before supporting clubs. Visualizing, North might have xx xx AKxx AKQxx; setting up the hearts could produce 13 tricks. In a sophisticated partnerships you might try 5S or 5NT (pick a slam) but 6C is probably the practical bid for most pairs.
Only one pair at the club reached slam (and they play Precision.)
| Board 7 South Deals Both Vul |
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In first or second seat North should probably open 1S, planning to jump to game later; there may be a slam. After two passes, however, slam is less likely and it may be more urgent to preempt East, so 4S is reasonable in third seat. East should perhaps pass but I would expect double to be popular with a bidding panel (such as the Bulletin's "It's Your Call".) You must be aware, however, that partner will not be inclined to bid a four or even five card suit at the five level; unlike the double of a one bid, partner will most likely pass weak and/or balanced hands.
East has no attractive lead; a trump seems least bad. While there is some risk partner has Qxx or such and dummy is void or entryless, every lead looks equally risky; the trump lead may prevent a ruff. Declarer, in fact, has nine winners and either a ruff or the King of diamonds can provide a tenth. Rattling off the long trumps, the defense must watch each other's carding; West should signal heart values early, such as pitching the nine followed by the six in standard methods. East should hold onto the Ace of hearts and AQ of diamonds. Only one pair managed to beat 4S.
| Board 20 West Deals Both Vul |
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After West and North pass, what should East open? If the long suit were a major, 2C would be clear; at diamonds, East may have only nine tricks but the excellent slam controls argue for 2C -- it can be difficult to show this much power starting with a one bid. After 1D, I would expect South to preempt 3S and North to bid four, forcing East to bid 5D. West seems unlikely to bid slam.
Over 2C, South overcalls a more cautious 2S, West passes (this won't end the bidding) and North again bids 4S. Now when East rebids 5D West may at least think about raising to six. It looks like five pairs bid slam, one collecting +800 against 6S doubled.
While most of the focus on opening 2C is on whether you might have game if partner passes, it can also be the key move in reaching slam, and a hand this rich in controls cannot expect much enthusiasm from partner after a tepid one bid.
| Board 23 South Deals Both Vul |
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West opens 1C and East has a fine hand for a strong 2D jump. West rebids 3C and East continues with 3NT; West passes and the optimum contract is reached. For those who have decided they have better uses for 2D, East starts with 1D, South overcalls 1S, West rebids 2C, East marks time with 2S, West shows delayed support (3D) and East wonders if he should try for slam -- does partner know how strong you are? Probably not, but there is no safety in getting beyond 3NT. That's the key advantage of jump shifts -- having shown a strong hand, responder can settle for game if opener shows no interest. There are plenty enough tricks for slam, but South's natural spade lead establishes the setting trick quickly. Four pairs over-reached here to 6NT or 6D. My partner started with a strong jump but made the mistake of rebidding 3D rather than 3NT; what else can West do but raise?
| Board 26 East Deals Both Vul |
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East opens 1C, West responds 1H, North overcalls 1S. East sees game or slam possibilities in hearts, clubs or notrump; best at this point is 2S to alert partner to your strength and get more information. Unlike responder, who typically has other forcing bids available, this cue-bid by opener does not promise support; opener may instead be too strong for a jump rebid in his suit . Another option would be 2D, a strength-showing reverse. East is too strong for a jump to 3C and lacks proper support for hearts. While it is often best to raise responder to two with only three trumps, all higher raises must promise a genuine fit. Isn't AKQ excellent support? Yes and no -- repeated spade leads could force partner to use those high trumps for ruffing. A good 4-3 fit requires good trumps in the longer hand.
2S establishes a game force; West rebids 3H. With a better suit a jump to 4H might be appropriate but here responder fears over-exciting opener with, say, Kx support in hearts. Now East can support hearts; either 3S or 4D confirms support and shows control of the suit. Bidding the cheaper control first is more the modern style, rather than the old, often inefficient method of bidding first-round controls before second round. Normally, I try to avoid cue-bidding shortages; if partner has, say, AQx in a suit, it makes a bid difference whether you might have the King or a singleton. But in the opponent's suit partner is less likely to have combining honors and cue-bidding a shortage is OK.
Reading 3S correctly as a slam try with heart support, West bids 4C and East proceeds to slam by way of 4NT (Blackwood or Key Card.) No one at the club reached this excellent slam.
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