Friday, October 3rd 2014

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

East opens 1H, surprising South who was planning to open 2H (weak.) South should be able to pass smoothly -- when they open your only long suit, pass (unless possibly you have enough to overcall 1NT.)

West responds 2D. East must rebid according to the partnership style. Some, playing 2/1 game force, will rebid 2S or 3C, reasoning that they don't "need" extra values for those bids. If the only goal of bidding were to reach game, that would be correct; but American bidding has always given a high priority to slam exploration. If 2S or 3C could be anything from a shapely "Rule of 20" 11 count up to 19 or more, it is difficult to decide sensibly when to stop at 3NT and when to push toward slam. Others might rebid 2NT; this makes it difficult to find a possible spade fit and tends to mislead partner about the diamond situation. I prefer 2NT to show the expected 3523 minimum while 2H is the default with any minimum unsuitable for 2NT; 2S, 3C and 3D would all be natural with extra values, about 15+.

Over 2H West rebids 2S, natural and game-forcing (if 2D itself was not game-forcing.) With less than game-forcing values responder should bid 1S first on a 4-5 type hand. If it is clearly agreed that 2D or 2S creates a game force, opener should not leap to 4S; this would suggest a hand such as AQxx AQxxx xx xx with good cards in hearts and spades but no control in the minors. A simple raise to 3S establishes the fit and leaves room for West to make a slam try. West pictures a near laydown slam opposite AQxx xxxxx xx Ax, but is worried about both clubs and spades: a leap to 4NT could be costly opposite Qxxx AQxxx x KJx. Instead West tries 4D -- with an agreed major suit, this is a slam suggestion, not a proposal to play 4D or 5D. East recognizes partner's trump problem and can proceed with 4NT or a 5C control bid, either of which should lead to the good 6S slam.

Board 18 East Deals N-S Vul	♠ J 8 7 6 4 ♥ 7 2 ♦ A 9 8 5 ♣ 4 2
♠ A K 9 ♥ Q J 10 8 3 ♦ J ♣ J 8 6 3	N W E S	♠ Q 10 ♥ A 5 ♦ Q 6 4 3 ♣ A K Q 10 5
	♠ 5 3 2 ♥ K 9 6 4 ♦ K 10 7 2 ♣ 9 7

East might open 1NT but two tens and a strong five-card suit really make this hand closer to 18 for notrump purposes; a 1C opening will allow East to reverse into diamonds or jump to 2NT to show his values. West responds 1H and East rebids 2D unless he wants to pretend Q10 is a spade stopper. With no special agreements about bidding ovcr a reverse West leaps to 3NT and that likely ends the auction. However, West's hand counts to at least 14 in support of clubs; added to partner's 17+ for the reverse and slam does appear to be possible. Playing lebensohl over a reverse, West might bid 3C to show 8+ with 3+ clubs, forcing to game. This doesn't show slam interest, however, and the bidding may continue with 3S by East (4th suit, "do you have spades stopped?") and again 3NT by West is apt to end the auction. 3NT by East was the popular contract, suggesting most simply opened 1NT.

Board 20 West Deals Both Vul	♠ Q 10 7 2 ♥ J 10 9 8 7 4 ♦ J ♣ 9 7
♠ A J 8 6 3 ♥ 5 ♦ 10 8 4 3 ♣ A J 6	N W E S	♠ 9 5 ♥ A 3 2 ♦ A K Q 7 6 ♣ K Q 4
	♠ K 4 ♥ K Q 6 ♦ 9 5 2 ♣ 10 8 5 3 2

After two passes, East opens 1D. West can make a beautiful bid here: 2S!. As a passed hand this should promise five spades, four or more diamonds, and a good 9 or more hcp. Some players jump merely to show a near opener, but this is unsound opposite what may be a light third seat opener; support for partner is crucial. Those who play weak jump shifts may treat 2S as a hand weaker than a weak two, but with nothing but passes by the opponents I'm not convinced preemption is all that valuable, and such hands are less common than this sort of fit jump. However, if weak is your normal style, stick with it. Just don't assume that a partner who plays strong jumps (not in completion) intends a passed hand jump to be weak.

East should have little difficulty reaching 6D after West's descriptive jump. On a more routine 1D-1S auction, East jumps to 2NT and West may try 3C (New Minor Forcing, or simply natural and forcing if you haven't agreed to play NMF in this sequence)
or 3D. The latter may propel East toward slam but in practice no pair bid slam. Several reached the poor matchpoint spot of 5D.