| Board 5 North Deals N-S Vul |
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East opens 1H, West responds 2C, plannning to support heart later. East rebids 2D. West's standard rebid here is 3H; as the 2/1 bid shows at least game invitational strength, the jump creates a game force. I've seen players leap to 4H here (or bid 4H immediately), understandable when I've also seen players pass 3H, but 3H leaves room for opener to make a slam try. In fact, East control-bids 3S. Does this promise extras? Depends on partnership agreements; both opener and responder are unlimited, a common problem in game-forcing auctions. If opener routinely bids 4H with any minmum range hand, a strong responding hand with slam values can be frustrated by the lack of cooperation. But if opener routinely bids controls, responder with ordinary game-going values won't know whether there's enough for slam.
A popular expert treatment is that after clearly agreeing on a major at the three level, strong hands bid 3NT while ordinary hands control-bid. This is known as Serious 3NT. I've always felt this is backward; why describe opener's controls on a hand that probably isn't going to slam? So I prefer "Courtesy 3NT", where a player bids 3NT to say "I've got some controls if you're interested but I'm in the minmum range for my bidding so far." An additional wrinkle is that it may make sense when hearts are agreed to go ahead and control-bid 3S, passing the buck to responder to use Courtesy 3NT or make a Serious Control Bid. On today's hand West might reason that his hand looks fairly strong for slam in diamonds if not hearts; he also knows opeenr is worried about the top diamonds, so a 4D control bid looks right. Opener has some concern about the shortage in clubs but perhaps responder's clubs can provide discards. A complete auction might be 1H-2C; 2D-3H, 3S-4D; 4NT-5D; 6H. After ruffing two spades in dummy and drawing trumps, opener needs any of a 3-2 diamond split, the Ace of clubs onside or perhaps the Queen, a friendly spade lead or defensive discard, possibly forced by a squeeze.
An interesting note about the 4-4 diamond fit here: either 6H or 6D makes easily if diamonds are 3-2. On a 4-1 split 6D is almost certain to fail while 6H would still have good chances despite a 4-1 split in either red suit.
| Board 14 East Deals None Vul |
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South opens 2C and North responds 3D (natural and slam-positive), 2D (waiting), 2D (semi-positive, playing 2H as a bust), or 2S (steps, 7-9 hcp.) In most cases South rebids 2NT, showing 22+ if responder promised some value or 22-24 over 2D waiting. After an artificial response (2D waiting or steps 2S) the partnership should be playing "systems on", just as if the opening bid were 2NT. North counts a combined minimmu of 31 hcp and adds at least 2 for the long suit, so the overall strength for 12 tricks should be there; biggest worry is the poor diamond suit. How can North show diamonds? Many use 3S over 2NT similar to the SAYC 2S over 1NT gadget: 3S shows a long minor, opener bids 4C or perhaps 3NT, and responder corrects to 4D. Unlike the situation over 1NT, however, the device is not used to stop at a part score (4C and 4D are usually pointless contracts) but is always a slam try. South should have no trouble reaching 6D if North shows diamond length and I think North is too strong not to do so opposite a 2C opening.
What if South's diamonds weren't so great? Could the partnership stay out of a poor slam? Suppose South had AKQx Kxx Kx AKxx. The bidding might begin 2C-2D; 2NT-3S; 4C-4D; 4H (control bid)-4NT (Roman Key Card); 5C (0 or 3 key cards.) North can assume 3 for South's strong opening, but would rather not be in slam if the Queen of diamonds is also missing. I would use 5H (cheapes non-agreed suit) to ask about the Queen, and South bids either 5S or 5NT per agreement to deny her majesty. North can then pass or sign off at 5NT.
| Board 22 East Deals E-W Vul |
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East opens 1D and South overcalls 1S. West has an obvious Weak Jump Shift In Competition (3H.) North bids 4H to say "I have support for you and an opening bid, partner." 4S would suggest a weaker, possibly more distributional hand, including those that had planned to make a limit raise; 3S would be constructive, about 8-10 in value. East is silenced by the vulnerability; South signs off at 4S with his minimum overcall. South can make 12 tricks by normal play in spades and finessing in clubs and diamonds -- a low odds parley for slam. 4S making 6 tied for second behind a pair that collected 1400 against 5H doubled.
| Board 24 West Deals None Vul |
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North opens 1H and East likely bids 2H, Mike Michaels' popular cue-bid (spades + a minor.) 2S by South is best used as showing at least game-invitational values with at least three-card heart support. North smells slam; 3D would sound at first like a game try, so I think the best move is a control-showing 3S. While I normally prefer control-bids to show Aces and Kings a bid in the enemy suit is a reasonable exception -- you don't expect partner to have wasted values there opposite your shortage. South is happy to cooperate with a 4C control-bid, and North rolls out the 4NT machinery. When South replies 5H (two Aces or two Key Cards) North bids 5NT to confirm that all Aces or all Key Cards plus the Queen are held. South shows one side King and North settles for either 6H or 6NT. 6H seems safer as the opening lead may knock out your only spade stopper and it may be necessary to lose a club trick to set up your 12th winner. One pair bid the grand but that seems too risky given that most pairs stopped at game.
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