Sunday, October 26th 2014

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

East may consider 4S or 2C, but it's best to open 1S with a hand that has the normal high card strength of an opening bid. Your shape and strength make it highly unlikely 1S will be passed out, and you can shows this sort of hand by rebidding 4S in most cases. A 4S opening should be weaker in high cards while 2C should be stronger.

West responds 2D and East rebids 4S as planned. West assumes at least a 7-1 trump suit, which constitutes a "fit", though the suit will lack flexibility in the play. Figuring partner for 8 to 9 playing tricks, West expects to add 4, plus perhaps a long card in hearts or clubs. 4NT fetches a one Ace or two key cards plus the Queen reply. West continues with 5NT to confirm all four Aces or all five key cards plus Queen; East may settle for denying any side Kings and then pass 6S. Had West's response been in clubs East would likely bid 7S. Five of eight pairs bid 6S for an above average board; 7S or even 6NT would've been a top but I'm not sure either was worth the risk.

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

East opens 1D; I hope West has a forcing raise available! If not, West may as well bid 4NT followed by 6D or perhaps 6NT, but the hand should really be played by East. Playing "jump shift in other minor" as a game force, West makes the artificial bid of 3C, East rebids 3NT, and West again drives the hand to 6D or 6NT. Playing inverted minors, West makes the forcing raise (2D), East bids 2NT to show a minimum balanced hand. West might in that case try 4NT quantitative; to ask for Aces or key cards West could control-bid something first. East passes for a fine matchpoint score of +460.

At our table West bid 2D, forcing, East rebid 2H, showing a stopper, West bid 2S and East retreated to 3D. West leaped to 4NT and placed the hand in 6D; as the bidding suggested East did not have the King of clubs, I lead the Ace setting up declarer's 12th trick. That's always a risk when you lead an Ace against a slam but the flip side is how often a slam will make if you don't cash your Ace -- and at matchpoints, you may be giving up an overtrick. That's bridge!

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

South should open some number of spades. At this vulnerability 4S is fairly reasonable; I prefer 2S, showing the good six-card suit and around 7 to 9 points; if the bidding comes back to me I'll bid 3C to suggest the 6-5 shape, or raise myself to game if partner competes with 3S. Over any spade bid West doubles; 3NT has some appeal over an opening 3S bid but I would expect an expert panel to vote overwhelmingly for the "more flexible" double, hoping to reach a good slam. East replies in hearts and West shows the equivalent of a 2C opening by cue-bidding spades: (2S)-dbl-3H; 3S is how things started at our table. East should then rebid 4D and, realizing that the two Kings and good shape is far more than promised so far take the hand on to slam. Over 4S, I would expect dbl-5H; 5S-6D; 6H. West seems too strong to settle for game without at least one slam try. Only two pairs reached slam; one pair defended 4S for a miserable score.

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

East opens 2C on a balanced 28 count; unfortunately, most have not discussed how to handle such a rare monster! The normal scheme is that 2C followed by 2NT suggests 22-24; 3NT = 25-27, and with 28-30, opener rebids 4NT (not any form of Blackwood.) If you play steps responses or the 2H bust scheme, however, responder will show some values (2D promising 4 points or promising at least a King, or 2H "steps" showing 4-6 hcp.) Now opener can rebid 2NT with up to about 26 hcp, leaving room for responder to employ Stayman or transfers. With 27 or 28, opener rebids 3NT, inviting slam; with 29 or more, opener again rebids only 2NT, planning to bid slam later. They key point is that the semi-positive response creates a game force so opener need not leap. Here, then the auction might proceed 2C-2D (at least an Ace or King); 2NT-3D (transfer); 3H-3NT (I wouldn't bother showing those ugly clubs); 4C (control bid, opener's 2NT denied interest in showing suits); 4H-4NT (RKCB); 5D (one or four key cards); 5H all pass. As it happens the trump finesse works but this isn't a slam you want to bid -- it's worse than a finesse, since there might be some horrible break that dooms the slam even when the finesse is on. Half the field bid slam.

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

West opens 1S; East counts three points for a (small) singleton when raising partner with four trumps, making the hand just worth a limit 3S raise. That suggests 3.5 cover cards; West has about 5.5 losers, so there should not be enough for slam. Some play 3NT asking for a singleton here (Mathe Asking bid), but with Queens everywhere no singleton will improve West's hand so 4S should end the bidding. No lead appeals but North should lead a normal 4th best heart which will hold declarer to 11 tricks; on any other lead it will be possible to set up the club suit and avoid a heart loser.

Board 22 East Deals E-W Vul	♠ A K 3 2 ♥ A 5 ♦ K J 2 ♣ A K J 3
♠ 7 ♥ J 7 6 2 ♦ 10 5 4 3 ♣ 10 8 7 6	N W E S	♠ Q J 10 8 5 4 ♥ Q 9 4 ♦ 8 6 ♣ Q 5
	♠ 9 6 ♥ K 10 8 3 ♦ A Q 9 7 ♣ 9 4 2

With zero defensive tricks, East's hand looks more like a 3S opening than 2S to me, but that would not be a good choice at adverse vulnerability. I'd pass but I expect most opened 2S. Much like West on #6, North has a monster which may be too good to settle just for game. The lebensohl gadget may help here: over North's double, South shows a fair hand (about 7-10) by bidding a suit at the 3 level; weaker hands bid 2NT as a puppet to 3C, planning to pass or correct to 3D or 3H. On today's hand South bids 3H. While encouraging that doesn't uncover a fit and North simply rebids 3NT, ending the auction, 10 tricks are the likely result, but North might guess East for all the missing high cards and drop the club Queen.

Not playing lebensohl I think South should bid 4H over the double rather than a mere "you forced me to bid" 3H. That makes it tough for North to find a rebid, and 4NT followed by 6NT seems probable.