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Hand Analyses 23rd August, 2006
That 2♦ preempt, followed by West’s boost to 3♦, puts N-S under some pressure, and it’s easy to see how some pairs might get to the sub-par contract of 4♠. In the featured auction, did N-S misbid? We don’t think so … South’s overcall was not gilt-edged, but it’s not a good idea to pass hands like that, unless you enjoy being pushed around by the opponents … as for North’s decision to go to game, we couldn’t agree more, but see the Bidding Quiz for more on North’s second bid.
Even though the N-S bidding passes muster, the resulting 4♠ contract is not a thing of beauty! However, it does have chances, and, as the cards lie, E-W must defend accurately to beat this one. West will lead the K♦ and East will contribute the Jack, which denies the Queen, and, with a singleton in Dummy, should be taken as Suit Preference for the higher suit ... basically, East is trying to tell West that it is safe to shift to a Heart. This shift is the winning defense, it's necessary to knock out those Dummy entries in order to kill the suit. Declarer will win the Ace (he may duck the first round of the suit), and play on trumps ... when West gets in he must attack Dummy's other entry, which is the 4th trump, and the way to do that is to lead a Diamond, forcing Dummy to ruff. Now, Dummy's trump entry has been used up before the Clubs can be set up and enjoyed.
A straightforward auction to a surely universal 4♠, where the division of the spoils will depend solely on South’s opening lead. Lead the K♦ and hold them to 11 tricks … or lead the J♣ and watch them score 12 tricks. Is it at all obvious to lead the K♦? We don’t think so! Here are some thoughts on the matter: - the J♣ is the lead which is less likely to blow a trick at Trick One, because the sequence is more solid … it’s also the lead that is less likely to set up tricks for the defense, because the suit is longer (more chance of enemy shortness), and our high cards are smaller (need more help from Partner); - conversely, the K♦ lead is more attacking, more likely to defeat the contract, and more likely to blow a trick in the led suit.
Playing matchpoints, we confess that we would lead the J♣ … a semi-attacking but safe lead, and the lead which seems less likely to hand the opponents an overtrick. But, playing in a team game, where there is less concern about overtricks, and more emphasis on beating the contract, we’d make the more risky K♦ lead. So, alas, playing in the Wednesday Pairs we’d be -480 for an average minus, hopefully you did better.
Bergen Postscript: Playing Bergen Raises, as West, what is your call? More specifically, is this a preemptive raise or a constructive raise? Yes, indeed, it’s a constructive raise, too good for preemption. There are many 6-counts which are just fine for a preemptive 3♠, but the 5-4 shape and those 2 valuable high cards make this hand too strong.
East’s hand is so good that, opposite a constructive raise, he might be tempted to make a slam try of 4♣, but will then subside when West bids 4♠, denying red suit controls. Oops! This sequence might tip the scales for in favor of a Diamond opening lead … not good!
As a potential opening bid, South’s hand squeaks by on a Rule of Twenty basis, but it has a few negatives … that wasted singleton Jack, the two red dangling Jacks, and an astonishing lack of fillers. Nonetheless, we’d open 1♠ anyway, it’s hard to resist such a lovely suit, especially when it’s in Spades!
Anyway, we suspect that the most common start will be as per the featured auction. Now the question is … “Should North take some kind of balancing action?” Yes, we think so. North was extremely close on the previous round of bidding to making a stronger call, her hand is within a whisker of qualifying for a limit raise bid of 3♣ over their 2♣ (some would say that it does qualify). Does this mean that North should balance here with a 3♠ bid? No, we’d prefer a Double here, which basically says “I don’t have an extra (fourth) trump for you, but I do have a good hand, make an intelligent decision, please”. As South, with no defense worth mentioning, bids 3♠ she might well be wondering why she opened this wretched hand!
But all’s well that ends well, and, on all imaginable lines of play, 3♠ is destined to go down one trick against the opponents’ making 3♣. And how many tricks for E-W in Clubs? 9 tricks is the limit, provided that South shifts promptly to a Diamond before Declarer gets a chance to set up a pitch on the Hearts.
Any E-W pairs who stay out of game on this one will score very well indeed. In the featured auction, East showed admirable restraint, he might well have gone to game with 12 HCPs and all that good stuff in the unbid suit.
The play in Diamonds might go thus … Club lead to the King and Ace and ruffed, Spade to the King, K♣ and Q♣ (pitching Hearts), Heart to the Jack and Queen, etc. After this start Declarer is headed for 10 tricks.
3NT is not the worst contract we’ve ever seen, but it’s certainly not a good one … and on the actual adverse lie of the cards it turns out to be quite atrocious and is headed for down two or three.
Good aggressive White vs Red bidding by E-W on this one! West’s 2NT was the “Unusual No Trump”, showing Spades and Diamonds, of course. Over 2NT, North had no worthwhile action … no extras, no support, and a suit not worth rebidding at the 3-level. Then, East’s preemptive jump to 4♦ really put South on the spot.
What do we suggest with the South hand over 4♦? Our first thought is that we wish we were playing against less difficult opponents. But, after cursing the peskiness of E-W, we must choose between Double and 5♣. What does Double mean? It shows a hand with values that knows not what to do. Could it be a plain old-fashioned don’t-you-dare-take-another-call penalty Double? We don’t think so … the opponents have a big fit, South has yet to limit her hand, she needs a way to say “I have a good hand but no obvious direction”. Yes, we’d double, but at this vulnerability 5♣ is awfully tempting.
Let’s assume that you approve of South’s value-showing Double of 4♦. Now the spotlight shifts to North. She might be tempted to try 4♥ (a winner!) or 5♣ (also a winner), but most likely she will guess to pass, and the fate of the matchpoints will depend on the play of the hand.
Playing in 4♦ doubled, can East scrape up the 7 tricks required for a good board? Please see Play Problem # 61.
Both East and West must have had an uneasy feeling about this auction. West, with that shortness in their suit, was no doubt tempted to Double, but his hand was just not good enough. And East, with 3 Aces against non-vulnerable preemptors, must have been tempted to double 4♠.
However, West must find a highly improbable Heart lead on the go to beat 4♠ … then, later in the play, East must underlead his A♦ in order to get West back in to cash the established Heart … expect this defense at one table in a thousand. More likely, the defense to 4♠ will start with the K♦, at which point the contract can always be made … but only with good play by Declarer, please see Play Problem # 62.
Not a very exciting deal. North’s 2♦ was a reasonable guess, but her reward will be down one for -100 instead of their 2♣ making for -90.
System Note: We’ve had a couple of complaints that we never mention Flannery in The Wednesday Game. Well, here’s our chance to rectify matters. South has a perfect Flannery hand here … 4 Spades, 5 Hearts, and an opening hand not good enough to reverse, let’s say 11-15 or 11-16. Flannery players use a 2♦ opening bid to show this specific hand type, trading it for the Weak 2♦. The convention is less popular than it was 20 years ago, but it still has many devotees.
How does Flannery work out on this particular deal. Perhaps not particularly well, as it happens. After South opens 2♦, North will choose 2♥ … now Double by East is best played as a 3-suited take-out (notwithstanding that South has shown 4 Spades), and West will probably pass, more in hope than with any bloodlust. 2♥ is destined for down one or two, but North will no doubt attempt a rescue in the 4-3 Spade fit … now East will double, and if West passes (he may not be happy about 2♠ doubled, but he can also see nowhere to go) then that will be 200 for E-W and a top board.
A few “might haves” on this auction: (a) East might have upgraded his 14-count to a 1NT opening … it’s nice to have all those Aces, but perhaps a Ten or two was needed to qualify; (b) West might have looked at his square and oh-so-NTish hand and responded 1NT instead of 1♥ (we would have done but we wouldn’t argue too strenuously with 1♥ either); (c) East might have passed 1♥ but did not want to give the opponents too easy an entry into the auction; (d) South might have thrown in a 2♠ “pre-balance” over 2♥, notwithstanding the putrid suit. (e) North might have balanced with a Double when 2♥ got around to her (non-vulnerable, we think she should have done).
Too many imponderables on this hand, let’s just say that going plus by either side is likely to be a reasonable result.
Now here’s a real Rule of Twenty opener. We’re taking about the East hand, your classic 5-4 11-count with all the values working. No doubt about this 1♥ bid! The remainder of the auction was straightforward enough, with West showing a 6-card Spade suit and invitational values with his 3♠ bid.
Against 3♠ what would you lead with the North hand? Leading away from Kxxxx against suit contracts is a pretty hazardous occupation, but it is the unbid suit and the other leads all look quite unattractive. So, let’s say that North does indeed lead a Club … now, as West, how would you play 3♠? Please see Play Problem # 63.
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