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Hand Analyses       30th August, 2006

 

 

 1

♠ KT84

AQT9

6

♣ QT83



 

Bidding Quiz (South)

Lead Problem # 64 (South)

♠ QJ

8632

QJ9

♣ AJ92

          North

West             East

          South

♠ 97532

K

AT8432

♣ 6


Dlr     North   
Vul     None 



 

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♠ A6

J754

K75

♣ K754

West   North   East     South

Pass   1♣        2        Dbl

3       Dbl      Pass    Pass

Pass

 

A whole bunch of debatable calls in this auction:

            1♣:      North can count up to 19 on a Rule of Twenty basis, but there’s a nice

                        sprinkling of fillers, so we think it’s worth opening (not that Pass would

                        be wrong)

            2:       Playing Michaels and the Unusual No Trump, East has no way of showing

                        this two-suiter in a single bid.  We like a Diamond bid here, and prefer 2

                        to 1 … after all, Partner is a passed hand, we have but 7 HCPs, and we

                       are non-vulnerable, so it looks like a preempt might be the best bet.  And,

                        yes, it is a bit offbeat to preempt with an undisclosed 5-card major!

            South’s Dbl:   Negative, of course, showing at least one of the majors … note the

                        difference between this and the auction 1♣ (1) Dbl, which is generally

                        played as showing both majors.

            North’s Dbl:   What does this show?  With the opponents bidding and raising

                        Diamonds, this is definitely take-out, probably with 4-4 or 4-3 in the

                        majors.  Is North’s hand good enough for the bid?  It would be nice to

                        have a bit more in high-card strength, but at least Double is the bid most

                        likely to get us to our best suit, so worth a small stretch, we think.

            South’s Pass:  At this point in the proceedings, South had 3 reasonable choices,

                        for which, please see the Bidding Quiz.

 

How does 3 doubled fare?  It’s going down one or two, and which it is will depend on South’s opening lead.  So, for the first time in the history of the Wednesday Game, we actually have an opening lead problem, please see Problem # 64.

 

If N-S play it in Hearts, with the benefit of seeing the Hand Record, they can scrape up 10 tricks … in real life, just staying out of game and making 9 tricks will be a very good board.

 

SAYC Note:

In SAYC, that Double by North would not be available as a take-out bid, so she would be in something of a bind over West’s 3 call.  In that case, we’d bid 3, and the fate of the board will be in South’s capable hands … well, capable only if she finds a Pass!  South’s hand has been lessened by those Diamond bids … it looks as if Partner has a singleton Diamond, so South’s K is of dubious value, and her 11-count is likely to be a working 8-count.  In the circumstances, Pass seems to be the way to go.

 

 

 2

♠ 86432

AJ7

7

♣ QT96




Bidding Quiz (West)

♠ AQT

QT82

AJ6

♣ AKJ

          North

West             East

          South

♠ KJ97

K53

984

♣ 853

 

Dlr       East
Vul      N-S 


 
 
 
 
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♠ 5

964

KQT532

♣ 742

West   North   East     South

                       Pass    2

Dbl     Pass    2♠        Pass

3NT    Pass    Pass    Pass

 

Over South’s 2, West’s No Trump options are:

            2NT:                           15-18, maybe even a crummy 19.

            Dbl then 2NT:            19-20

            Dbl then 3NT:            21+

 

How about a direct 3NT over 2?  It’s suggested that you reserve this for trick-oriented hands, such as ♠ A6, T95, A3, ♣ AKQJ97.  With this hand we are not bidding 3NT on sheer high-card power, we’re hoping that our running Clubs, and a little help from Partner, will be enough for 9 tricks.

 

In 3NT Declarer will make 10 tricks on normal play, scoring 4 Spades, and two in each of the other suits.  It’s possible to make 11 tricks, but the line of play is highly improbable, involving a “backward finesse” in Hearts (lead the Ten, which is covered by the Jack, and later finesse the Eight!).

 

System Note:

For an interesting expert bidding agreement, please see the Bidding Quiz.

 

 

 3

♠ Q6

A83

T7

♣ JT6542




Bidding Quiz (East)

♠ T9843

T742

842

♣ K

          North

West             East

          South

♠ AKJ75

KJ

AJ5

♣ AQ3

 

Dlr     South
Vul     E-W 

 


 
 
 
 
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♠ 2

Q965

KQ963

♣ 987

South   West    North   East  

Pass     Pass    Pass     2♣

Pass     2        Pass    2NT

Pass     3       Pass     3NT

Pass     4       Pass     4♠

Pass     Pass    Pass

 

We’ve discussed Super-Accepts after 1NT in earlier Wednesday Games, and our suggested approach to this is to use 2NT for all good Super-Accepts, the rationale being that this method does not volunteer information to the opponents unnecessarily.  There does not seem to be any good reason not to use the same method after a 2NT opening, and that is what the featured auction does.  3NT was a super-accept in Spades, and 4 was a “re-transfer” back to Spades, allowing the strong hand to be Declarer.

 

When the Spades behave, twelve tricks are possible with the aid of a successful guess in Hearts.

 

SAYC Note:

Without the benefit of any special Super-Accept agreements, a logical auction would be 2♣ 2, 2NT 3, 4♠ Pass.

 

 

 4

♠ T7

AKJ

JT84

♣ AKJ6

 

♠ AQ8643

T3

AKQ2

♣ 2

          North

West             East

          South

♠ KJ52

8642

96

♣ Q73

 

Dlr     West
Vul     Both 


 
 
 
 
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♠ 9

Q975

753

♣ T9854

West   North   East     South

1♠      Dbl       3♠        Pass

4♠      Dbl       Pass    Pass

Pass

 

We wonder how many 790’s will be on the score-sheet?  North’s second Double was understandable, so maybe quite a few!

 

 

 5

♠ A

Q9732

A643

♣ A63

 

♠ 9842

AK54

T7

♣ QT9

          North

West             East

          South

♠ J763

T6

Q82

♣ K754

 

Dlr     North
Vul     N-S 


 
 
 
 
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♠ KQT5

J8

KJ95

♣ J82

West   North   East     South

           1        Pass    1♠

Pass   2        Pass     3

Pass   3NT     All Pass

 

The auction is reasonable enough, but the final contract is not especially appetizing.

 

When East leads a Club against 3NT, things look bleak for Declarer.  Even if the Diamonds come home for 4 tricks, that’s still only 8 tricks in total, unless the J♠ comes down in 3 rounds.  The compounded chances of this good fortune are quite slim (no more than about 7% by our calculations), and intuitively the odds of playing on Hearts seems better, as that just requires luck in one suit.  The luck required is that both AK are in the hand without the long Club, and that we can guess the whereabouts of the T, and a little more good fortune (either the T must come down in 3 rounds, or we still need one extra trick from Spades or Diamonds).  This turns out to be excellent intuition because, according to our Statistics Department, the probability of success by playing on Hearts is a whopping 10% or thereabouts.  Playing with the odds turns out to be the winning line, and (after ducking a couple of Clubs) a first round finesse of the 8 brings home 9 improbable tricks.

 

 

 6

♠ KQ82

QJT87

974

♣ 9




Bidding Quiz (North)

♠ 96

A65

AK32

♣ J862

          North

West             East

          South

♠ J753

43

JT6

♣ Q753

 

 Dlr     East
 Vul     E-W 


 
 
 
 
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♠ AT4

K92

Q85

♣ AKT4

West   North   East     South

                       Pass    1NT

Pass   ??

 

 

Do you think that the North hand is good enough to force to game?  Or is it invitational only?  Seems like a close call to us, so you choose.  Now, having made your choice, what are your methods?

 

If you think the North hand is invitational:

The most common method with this so-called invitational hand is to transfer to Hearts and then bid 2♠, showing 4-5 in the majors.  And, if we are 5-4 in the majors?  Then the prescribed method is to use Stayman, and then over 2 to bid 2♠.

 

If you think the North hand is game-forcing:

Now, we use Stayman, and if Partner bids 2, we jump to 3 of a major.  There is a little wrinkle available, namely Smolen … playing this gadget, we jump to three of the 4-card major, instead of to three of the 5-card major … this way we get the strong hand as Declarer if we end up playing in game in the 5-3 major fit.  Without Smolen, the auction will be 1NT 2♣, 2 3, 4 Pass, resulting in North being the Declarer.

 

4 played by North is a hopeless contract … those who play Smolen can take comfort in the fact that their superior methods have right-sided the contract, as 4 played by North is not at all hopeless, merely rather poor!

 

From the North side, it will be normal for East to lead the J, and that is an instant down one.  From the South side, 4 may be down one also, but it has practical chances … West will lead the A, and must shift to avoid giving Declarer his 10th trick … he must also avoid shifting to a Spade, as that will also present Declarer with the contract … shifting to a Club or a trump will beat the contract, unless Declarer is inspired enough to finesse against East’s J♠, a play which is only slightly against the odds.

 

 

 7

♠ 97

J32

Q73

♣ AQ843


 

Bidding Quiz (East)

Bidding Quiz (West)

♠ KT

AQ9854

K5

♣ KJ7

          North

West             East

          South

♠ AQJ43

KT7

AJ9

♣ 96

 

Dlr     South
Vul     Both 


 
 
 
 
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♠ 8652

6

T9642

♣ T52

South   West     North   East  

Pass     1        Pass     1♠

Pass     3        Pass     4

Pass     4NT     Pass     5

Pass     6NT     All Pass

 

Hopefully there’s no mistaking North’s 4 bid here … Heart support and slam interest!

 

A bold 6NT bid by West, aiming for the better matchpoint score, of course.  More on this in the Bidding Quiz.

 

It’s North’s misfortune that her opponents reached 6NT, but she can salvage a few matchpoints if she grabs her A♣ at Trick One.  Should she?  Well, we think so, but, of course, we can see all four hands.

 

 

 8

♠ K4

T54

942

♣ KT643



Bidding Quiz (West)

Bidding Quiz (East)

♠ QJ3

KJ986

AKQT3

          North

West             East

          South

♠ A986

73

87

♣ A9875

 

Dlr     West
Vul     None 


 
 
 
 
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♠ T752

AQ2

J65

♣ QJ2

West   North   East     South

1      Pass     1♠        Pass

2       Pass     2♥       Pass

2♠      Pass      3NT    All Pass

 

After that obvious 1 1♠ start, the auction got rather interesting:

 

  2:     West must have been tempted to jump to 3 with that lovely hand … it’s only 16

            HCPs, but there’s that great distribution and the fitting honors with Partner’s

            Spades.  We prefer 2, though, we need to find a fit if this hand is to meet its

            full potential.

 

  2:    A simple preference, not good enough for anything more.

 

  2♠:     This clearly shows a good hand … with 3-card support and minimum values,

            West would have had no qualms about raising 1♠ to 2♠ with 3-card support and

            a ruffing value.

 

  3NT: With two Aces, East has plenty for 3NT (although 4♠ is also a possibility).

 

Such a delicate auction, such a terrible contract.  We are only at Board 8 and we have already found ourselves in contracts which were “unappetizing”, “hopeless”, “rather poor”, and now “terrible”.  Can sub-par, dismal and precarious be in our future?

 

The good news for E-W is that Diamonds are 3-3, the Spade finesse works, and it is impossible to misguess Hearts.  Making 9 or 10 tricks.  Not so terrible after all!

 

 

 9

♠ 63

AQ8543

A

♣ AK82


 

Bidding Quiz (North)

Bidding Quiz (South)

♠ QT875

KJ

Q985

♣ T6

          North

West             East

          South

♠ KJ4

T96

73

♣ QJ543

 

Dlr     North
Vul     E-W 

 


 
 
 
 
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♠ A92

72

KJT642

♣ 97

West   North   East     South

Pass   1        Pass     1NT

Pass   2♣        Pass     2

Pass   2        Pass     4

Pass   Pass     Pass

 

Another delicate auction, but this time to a reasonable contract, albeit a most unfortunate one.  The auction will dictate a Spade lead from East, which knocks out Dummy’s entry before the Diamonds can be unblocked.  Even so, Declarer still has a reasonable play for 10 or 11 tricks … win the Spade, cross to the A, AK♣, then a low Club, hoping to ruff on the board, and, if this works, cash the K (pitching a Spade), and try the Heart finesse.  This will be worth 11 tricks on a good day, 10 tricks most days, and just 9 tricks on this day … yes, most unfortunate.

 

 10

♠ 4

Q8654

A43

♣ AQ92

 

♠ K6

T7

Q97

♣ KT543

          North

West             East

          South

♠ 97532

J32

J86

♣ J7

 
Dlr     East
Vul     Both 


 
 
 
 
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♠ AQJT8

AK9

KT52

♣ 6

West   North   East     South

                       Pass     1♠

Pass   2        Pass     3

Pass   4♣        Pass     4

Pass   4        Pass     4NT

Pass   5♠        Pass     5NT

Pass   6        All Pass

 

North was really scraping the bottom of the barrel with her so-called forcing-to-game 2 bid.  South’s 3 raise put her partnership in a position which will be familiar to last week’s Wednesday Gamers.  Yes, it’s that Serious 3NT situation again.  If you recall, in situations where a game force exists, and a major has been agreed, a Serious 3NT can be used to show extra values and demand a cue-bid from Partner.  If N-S are playing that convention, then North’s 4♣ bid denied those extra values and showed a Club card.

 

South, of course, was always headed to slam, and his 5NT bid was made in the vain hope that Partner held the K♠.  N-S were obviously playing “Specific Kings” rather than “Number of Kings”, and the contract rested in 6.

 

Against 6, East has no obvious lead … let’s say that he leads a low Heart won by the Ace on the board.  Assuming that the Hearts break, Declarer has no obvious losers, but then again he doesn’t have 12 obvious tricks either.  Best play is surely to get the Spades going, so Declarer cashes one more round of Hearts, then the A♠, and leads the Q♠, planning a ruffing finesse … this turns out to be unnecessary when the K♠ pops out on the second round of the suit.  Now, Declarer can bank on 5 trump tricks, 3 Spades, 2 Diamonds, and a Club, which is 11 … and a Club ruff on the board makes 12!  It would be 13 tricks if the Spades were 4-3, but surely +1430 will be enough for a good board.

 

Yes, there are a few ways whereby Declarer can make 13 tricks, but they are all anti-percentage.  Our favorite such line goes thusly:

            Win the opening Heart lead on the board, and cash a second high Heart

            Cash A♠

            Q♠, covered by the King, and ruffed

            A♣, then ruff a Club

            Cash the two Spade winners (yes, there is still a defensive trump at large!)

            Cross to the A

            Play the remaining two trumps.

Both defenders must come down to two cards … East must hang on to the 9♠, so will pitch a Diamond, whereupon Dummy pitches that now-useless losing Spade … and West must hang on to his K♣, so must also pitch a Diamond … Dummy’s Kx of Diamonds now win the last two tricks.  It’s your basic Double Squeeze.

 

 

 11

♠ 42

98753

A9

♣ 8732

 

♠ KQJ7

AT2

K74

♣ T96

          North

West             East

          South

♠ 8

KQ64

QJT52

♣ KJ4

 
Dlr     South
Vul     None 


 
 
 
 
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♠ AT9653

J

863

♣ AQ5

South   West     North   East  

1♠        Pass     Pass     Dbl

2♠        ??

  

Compare and contrast these two auctions … in each case, what does West’s Double mean?

South   West     North   East                           South   West     North   East  

1♠        Pass     2♠        Pass                           1♠        Pass     Pass     Dbl

Pass     Dbl      …                                            2♠        Dbl       …

 

In the left-hand auction, the opponents have found a fit and have bid to the two-level … they surely have at least 8 trumps, maybe more … so, playing a penalty Double here is not particularly useful, they’ll usually have enough trumps to escape with a reasonable result.

 

In the right-hand auction, they have no fit.  South has (maybe) gone out on a limb to show a 6th Spade, and this Double over the Spade bidder is a penalty Double.

 

With that in mind, one could hardly blame West for trying to exact a penalty by doubling here.  Nor could we blame him for being disappointed when the end-result of this penalty Double turns out to be a mere +100.  Well, at least it’s a plus score, if E-W end up in 3NT, no doubt played by West, a Club lead will beat the contract.

 

SAYC Note:

Contrary to the above, in SAYC, the second Double in this auction is a Penalty Double:

              South   West     North   East             

              1♠        Pass     2♠        Dbl      

              Pass     Dbl      …         

 

 

 12

♠ Q6

AK62

T72

♣ J763

 

♠ AK87

T73

J

♣ AKQ92

          North

West             East

          South

♠ JT95

J

AK653

♣ 854

 
Dlr     West
Vul     N-S 


 
 
 
 
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♠ 432

Q9854

Q984

♣ T

West   North   East     South

1♣      Pass     1        Pass

1♠       Pass     3♠        Pass

4♠       Pass     Pass     Pass

 

It’s a border-line slam hand, and some E-W pairs might get too high on this one.  Slam requires picking up the Q♠, and a 3-2 Club break, and the chances of success are around 30%.  Those E-W pairs who do go in search of slam may use Roman Key Card Blackwood along the way … this will tell them that they are missing a Key Card and the Q♠ and will allow them to put on the brakes in 5♠.

 

Alas, even 5♠ is likely to be too high.  North will lead Hearts, forcing Dummy to ruff the second round … now, after a losing Spade finesse, Declarer will be unable to enjoy the Clubs without losing one along the way, and that will be just 10 tricks.

 

Walsh Note:

Walsh-style players will not waste their time bidding that robust Diamond suit, they’ll bypass it in favor of the Spade suit.  Now, West will go to game one way or the other and South will be on opening lead … if she leads a Club, and if Declarer is not careful, he is in danger of not even making game!  Declarer should suspect singleton for that opening lead and it will depend upon how he plays the trump suit:

(a)    Cross to the A and take a first-round trump finesse … this is a poor line, and gets what it deserves when the defense gets two Club ruffs to beat the contract one trick;

(b)   Cash the A♠, before crossing to the A and taking the Spade finesse … this holds the ruffs to just one, and ten tricks result;

(c)    Cash AK♠ dropping the offside Queen … it’s anti-percentage but it does result in 11 tricks!

 

 

 13

♠ AKJ73

75

94

♣ T843




Bidding Quiz (West)

♠ Q96

QJ83

AK7632

          North

West             East

          South

♠ 84

AKT62

QT8

♣ K62

 
Dlr     North
Vul     Both 


 
 
 
 
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♠ T52

94

J5

♣ AQJ975

West   North   East     South

           Pass     1       Pass

??

 

 

Last week (Board 25) South held this hand, opposite a 1♠ opening bid:

         ♠ AK642

         ♥ J

         ♦ A6542

         ♣ 64

We assigned a Jacoby 2NT response to this hand, without explaining why we chose not to bid 2 or make a Splinter bid (actually, we thought that all three would have been quite reasonable on that particular hand).  Well, here’s a similar situation … what would be your choice on this week’s hand?

 

  4♣?   This would be a Splinter, of course, showing a fit and shortness in the bid suit …hardly seems a good

            idea to crowd the auction like that with our magnificent but undisclosed 6-card side-suit, to say nothing

            of those Spade losers.  Having said that, a Splinter works rather well on the actual hand … after 1

            4♣, Opener is singularly unimpressed and bids 4.

  2NT? Some players prefer that a Jacoby 2NT denies shortness (because of the failure to Splinter), but we

             beg to differ.  When we use Jacoby 2NT we are doing so either because we have no good alternative,

             or because we want to ask rather than tell.  Using standard methods, the one auction we would hate

             to hear is 1 2NT, 4, which will leave us none the wiser about Spades, and that’s the main reason

             we’d prefer not to use the Jacoby 2NT on this hand.

  2?    This would be our choice … our hope would be to agree Hearts at the 3-level and elicit a Spade cue-

            bid from Partner below game.  We wouldn’t bid 2 with a view to playing in Diamonds, we are

            definitely playing this in Hearts … 2 is merely a cheap, forcing and descriptive bid, and seems like the

            best way to start.

 

After a 2 response, depending on your 2/1 style, the auction might go one of two ways:

            1 2, 2 4♣, 4 Pass           Nice auction!  Some partnerships like 2 to be a kind of waiting bid, one that does not promise a 6th Heart … now the 4♣ bid completes the description of West’s hand rather well, we think … Diamond suit, Heart support, Club shortness … after this, it’s not difficult for East to douse the auction with a bid of 4.

            1 2, 3 3, 4♣ 4, Pass     The Spade problem is identified and the auction rests safely in game.

 

SAYC Note:

Splinters (either delayed or direct) are not a part of SAYC, so a sensible auction would be 1 2, 3 4, Pass or else 1 2NT, 4 Pass.  This works fine on the actual hand, but pardon us for saying that neither auction is particularly convincing.  For example, swap East’s black suit holdings, and the auction would no doubt be the same, but 6 would be cold.

 

 

 14

♠ A952

4

AT65

♣ Q962




Bidding Quiz (North)

♠ 763

A953

J8

♣ J874

          North

West             East

          South

♠ K

QJ872

KQ43

♣ KT5

 

Dlr     East
Vul     None 


 
 
 
 
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♠ QJT84

KT6

972

♣ A3

West   North   East     South

                       1        1♠

3      4        Pass     4♠

Pass   Pass     Pass

 

West’s 3 raise was preemptive, showing 4-card support and a weak hand.  Now, North has the values to go to game opposite his Partner’s overcall … only 10 HCPs, but 4-card support, a couple of Aces, and shortness in the opponent’s suit … North bids 4 here (rather than 4♠ directly) to show a “real” raise to 4♠.

 

Well, so much for that “real” raise to 4♠, the final contract turns out to be quite dismal.  The hands fit badly, and the singleton K♠ will normally score a trick for the defense, so 4♠ will be down 2 for what should be a common result.

 

SAYC Note:

In SAYC, West’s 3 bid is invitational, so a simple raise to 2 will be in order.  The final contract will be the same, no doubt.

 

 

 15

♠ T842

AT

T85

♣ J987

 

♠ Q3

K85

K76

♣ AKT53

          North

West             East

          South

♠ KJ95

973

QJ82

♣ 64

 

Dlr     South
Vul     N-S 


 
 
 
 
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♠ A76

QJ642

A43

♣ Q2

South   West     North   East  

1        1NT     Pass     Pass

Pass

 

 

There’s not much to this deal … an obvious auction, and an obvious 7 tricks for Declarer.

 

 

 16

♠ AK6

QJ6

5

♣ AQJ752




Bidding Quiz (North)

♠ 9742

AK75

AKT92

          North

West             East

          South

♠ QJT8

983

J843

♣ 83

 

Dlr     West
Vul     E-W 


 
 
 
 
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♠ 53

T42

Q76

♣ KT964

West   North   East     South

1       Dbl      Pass     2♣

Dbl     Rdbl    2♠        Pass

Pass   3♣        3        Pass

Pass   4♣        All Pass

 

North’s Redouble showed extra values rather than good Clubs (which she also happened to have).  4♣ is certainly the par contract, but we’d predict that a few N-S pairs will get to game on this one … however, 3NT (by South) and 5♣ are both destined to go down one. 

 

If E-W can guess the Diamonds they can make 10 tricks in Spades, but it’s hard to see how they might get there. 

 

 

 17

♠ JT64

T82

J54

♣ T97



 

♠ Q987

Q765

Q9

♣ AKJ

          North

West             East

          South

♠ AK532

K3

K862

♣ 82


Dlr     North   
Vul     None 


 
 
 
 
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AJ94

AT73

♣ Q6543

West   North   East     South

           Pass     1♠        Dbl

2NT   Pass      4♠       Pass

Pass   Pass

 

West’s 2NT was the Jordan 2NT, showing a limit raise or better, and East was happy to bid game without further assistance from Partner.

 

Against 4♠, South will no doubt lead a Club, won by the Ace in Dummy (yes, from the bidding it looks as if the Club finesse should work, but we can postpone that until later, if need be).  How would you play the trump suit?  It's 100% right to play the Q first ... firstly, the only opponent likely to have all 4 missing Spades is the partner of the Doubler ... secondly, the only 4-0 trump break that we can pick up is when the 4 is with North.  So, having laid down the Q, we get the good news when South shows out.  Good news?  Yes, of course, it means that your careful play is about to be rewarded!  Making 10 tricks should be worth a pretty good score, surely above average we would think.  

 

 

 18

♠ J8742

97

Q87

♣ KQ3




Play Problem # 65 (West)

♠ AKQ

K853

KT9

♣ 752

          North

West             East

          South

♠ 53

AQ

A6543

♣ T964

 

Dlr       East
Vul      N-S 

 


 
 
 
 
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♠ T96

JT642

J2

♣ AJ8

West   North   East     South

                       Pass     Pass

1NT   Pass     3NT     Pass

Pass   Pass

 

3NT will surely be the universal (and precarious) contract.  Please see Play Problem # 65.

 

 

 19

♠ T64

AK4

Q75

♣ AK82




Bidding Quiz (South)

♠ KJ

72

AKJT9

♣ JT94

          North

West             East

          South

♠ 87

Q653

86432

♣ Q7

 

Dlr     South
Vul     E-W 

 


 
 
 
 
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♠ AQ9532

JT98

♣ 653

South   West     North   East  

??

 

 

There’s a school of thought which says that, when you are dealt a 6-card major of sufficient strength, that you always take action, either with one of a suit or with a Weak Two.  Here’s a hand which tests that hypothesis … South clearly is not good enough for a 1♠ opening, but is the hand suitable for a Weak 2♠?

 

Please see the Bidding Quiz for more on this subject.  On the actual deal, it seems likely that 4♠ will be reached either way, making 10 tricks when both major suit finesses fail.

 

 

 20

♠ A853

KQJ4

Q6

♣ 876




Bidding Quiz (North)

♠ 2

A9

987432

♣ QJ42

          North

West             East

          South

♠ JT964

T5

J

♣ AKT93

 
Dlr     West
Vul     Both 


 
 
 
 
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♠ KQ7

87632

AKT5

♣ 5

West   North   East     South

Pass   1♣        1♠        Dbl

Pass   2         Pass    4

Pass   Pass      Pass

 

A straightforward deal, this time to 4, where 10 tricks are most likely.  Provided that East leads a Diamond or a Spade, the defense can organize a ruff as their third trick.

 

But, back to the bidding for a moment … did any Norths open that hand 1?  Yes, that would be our choice, notwithstanding that she is in second seat, and supposedly playing a 5-card major system.  Somehow, it seems odd to us to open a suit of three small cards, when we have such a robust 4-card suit available … the danger of having Partner on opening lead and blowing a trick with a Club lead seems greater than the danger of cheating about that 5th Heart.

 

 21

♠ JT

KQT952

AQ73

♣ 8


 

Bidding Quiz (East)

Bidding Quiz (South)

♠ 832

842

K96

♣ A952

          North

West             East

          South

♠ AKQ6

7

J42

♣ JT743

 

Dlr     North
Vul     N-S 


 
 
 
 
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♠ 9754

AJ6

T85

♣ KQ6

West   North   East     South

           1        Dbl      ??

 

 

After East’s Double, South’s choices are:

  2NT:             This is generally played as showing a limit raise, the so-called Jordan convention.  However,

                        there are two flaws here … firstly, we have only 3-card support (Jordan normally shows 4) …

                        and, secondly, that square 10-count hardly looks good enough to describe as a limit raise …

                        our least favorite of the 4 choices.

  1NT:             Very much at the top of the range, and with unusually good Hearts for such a bid.

  Rdbl:             We’d prefer less in Hearts, more defense in the other suits, for this bid.

  2:                 Not unreasonable in terms of the playing strength in Hearts, although we do have an unusual

                         amount of defense for this bid … however, bidding 2 has some merit, especially if South’s

                         plan is to double the opponents when their 2♠ or 3 of a minor comes back around … such a

                         sequence would show this type of maximum 2 bid, and would give Partner the option of

                         converting for penalty or else competing to 3.

 

Well, the winner is 1NT or 2, underbidding a tad and staying out of game … and the losers are Redouble (a reasonable, but unsuccessful, bid), and 2NT (just not a good bid) which are likely to propel N-S to game.

 

 

 22

♠ KJ7

J62

QJT6

♣ AT2




Bidding Quiz (South)

♠ T85

953

A83

♣ QJ93

          North

West             East

          South

♠ A64

AKQ87

972

♣ 75

 

Dlr     East
Vul     E-W 


 
 
 
 
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♠ Q932

T4

K54

♣ K864

West   North   East     South

                       1        Pass

2      Pass     Pass     ??

 

 

West might well have bid 1NT in response to 1, it seems like a pretty close choice to us.  But the major decision in this auction falls to South.  Should she balance here, with that nondescript 8-count?  Absolutely!  It cannot be right to give the opponents such an easy ride, and the real question is not whether to balance but how to balance.  We prefer 2♠ here … Partner should be aware to the probability that this is a 4-card suit, after all, if we had 5 of them we might have overcalled 1♠ earlier in the auction.  Double here is likely to be made on a 3-card Spade suit.

 

If South does bid 2♠ here, that should be the final contract, as E-W have nothing more to say … if they do venture to 3 they will pay the price for over-competing and will score -200 even if undoubled.  In 2♠, South can scrounge up 8 tricks, thanks to the benign distribution.

 

 

 23

♠ T

AKQ9

AQ9

♣ T7652


 

Bidding Quiz (North)

Bidding Quiz (South)

♠ Q753

J

T873

♣ J983

          North

West             East

          South

♠ K9864

875

J2

♣ AKQ

 

Dlr     South
Vul     Both 

 


 
 
 
 
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♠ AJ2

T6432

K654

♣ 4

South   West     North   East  

Pass     Pass     1       1♠

4♣        Pass     4       Pass

Pass     Pass

 

Here we go again!  Yet another “lead-directing” opening bid!  This one is clear-cut in our view.  There’s a strong possibility that Partner will be on lead against a Spade contract, and, if that is the case, we most assuredly want a Heart lead from Partner … a Club lead from Partner’s Ax, Qxx or Kxx might be disastrous!

 

South’s 4♣ bid was a Splinter bid, raising two questions … are Splinters on by a passed hand? … are Splinters still on if they overcall?  Please see the Bidding Quiz.

 

Opposite a 4♣ Splinter, North’s already nice hand is further improved … in the featured auction, she bid just 4, but might well have considered a 4 cue-bid instead.

 

6 turns out to be a so-so contract, but, on the lie of the cards, 12 tricks can be made.  The defense does best to lead a trump, Declarer then loses a Club, wins the trump return, and has the timing to ruff out the Clubs … the final tally of 12 tricks is made up of 4 natural trump tricks, 3 Club ruffs, 1 Spade, 3 Diamonds, and the long Club.  But surely the almost universal result will be 4 making 11 or 12 tricks … we’d expect that bidding the slam is overkill, just scoring +680 will be close to a top.

 

SAYC Note:

Splinter bids are not a part of SAYC, so over 1♠ South will bid 3 or 4 or even 2♠ … all of which will get N-S to game.

 

 24

♠ 86

AK5

KT752

♣ T52

 

♠ KQJ

T6

AJ43

♣ A984

          North

West             East

          South

♠ 95

943

Q96

♣ KJ763

 

Dlr     West
Vul     None 


 
 
 
 
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♠ AT7432

QJ872

8

♣ Q

West   North   East     South

1NT   Pass     Pass     2

Pass   Pass     Pass  

 

 

South’s 2 was a DONT bid, which is just one of a number of conventions which makes it possible to show both majors after the opponent’s 1NT opening.  As it happens, even though N-S have wasted minor cards, their combined 19-count is enough to make game.  Not that 4 is a wonderful contract, it does require both majors to be 3-2, so something around 45%.

 

SAYC Note:

SAYC does not make any provision for conventional defenses to 1NT openings, and, in the absence of that, South will no doubt bid 2♠ and will probably play it there.  This will be worth +140 instead of the +170 for those playing in 2.

 

 25

♠ 952

954

AQ9

♣ AJ87




Bidding Quiz (East)

♠ K43

J7

76542

♣ Q43

          North

West             East

          South

♠ QJ876

AQT82

KJ

♣ 6

 

Dlr     North
Vul     E-W 


 
 
 
 
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♠ AT

K63

T83

♣ KT952

West   North   East     South

           Pass     1♠       Pass

2♠       Pass     3       Pass

3♠       Pass     Pass    Pass

 

There are various game-try methods available, but, in the absence of special agreements, East was simply bidding what he had.

 

It turns out that 3♠ is plenty high enough.  There are 3 Aces to lose, a Heart finesse to be taken, and a potential guess in the Diamond suit.  The Heart finesse loses, but with both Diamond honors on-side Declarer cannot help but make 9 tricks.

 

 

 26

♠ T4

98642

AKJT5

♣ Q



 

Bidding Quiz (North)

♠ KJ9862

AJT

♣ T652

          North

West             East

          South

♠ AQ

KQ73

432

♣ AKJ7

 

Dlr     East
Vul     Both 

 


 
 
 
 
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♠ 753

5

Q9876

♣ 9843

West   North   East     South

                       1♣        Pass

1♠       2        2        4

4♠       Pass    5         Pass

5       Pass    6♠      All Pass

 

Quite an exciting auction!  Let’s look at some highlights:

  2:     North could have trotted out the Unusual 2NT, showing typically 5-5 in the unbid suits, but with such

            good Diamonds and a hand that was likely to end up on defense she decided to get in a lead-directing

            2 instead.

  2:    This bid is a reverse, showing a pretty good hand … normally, one would expect more distribution for

            the bid (longer Clubs), but East was in a bind and had to improvise.

  4:     South can count 10 trumps for her side, and preempts to the limit of her hand.

  4♠:     West would no doubt have preferred a better suit for this bid, but when the opponents preempt life is

             not always perfect.

  5:     When East picked up her cards she saw that she had a pretty good hand … the ensuing auction has

            only made it even better … everything is working, and those 3 small Diamonds are no doubt opposite

            shortness (probably a void) … cue-bidding 5 here may seem odd with 3 losers in the suit, but it’s

            quite safe … Partner has the suit controlled without our help, and 5 is actually the only available

            unambiguous slam try in Spades.

  5:    West is happy to cooperate, of course.

 

The resulting contract of 6♠ is a good place to be, making 7 when the Q♣ falls.

 

 

 27

♠ K75

KQ432

9

♣ Q973

 

♠ JT

JT5

AJT32

♣ JT4

          North

West             East

          South

♠ A63

A86

K874

♣ A82

 

Dlr     South
Vul     None 

 


 
 
 
 
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♠ Q9842

97

Q65

♣ K65

South   West     North   East  

Pass     Pass     1        1NT

Pass     3NT     Pass     Pass

Pass

 

Against 3NT, South will lead the 9, and the kind Heart spots have now given Declarer a second stopper in the suit.  If the Diamonds can be brought in for no losers, then 9 tricks will be made.  Will East guess right?  “Eight ever, nine never” is the common advice in this situation, telling us to play for the drop when we have a 9-card fit … however, there is an indication that North might be short in Diamonds (because she has the long Hearts), so playing South for Qxx of Diamonds has a lot to be recommended.  Anyway, the final outcome will be this:

(a)    Declarer guesses Diamonds correctly, and scores up 9 tricks for a great board;

(b)   Declarer does not guess Diamonds, the defense shifts to Spades, and it’s down 2 and a great board, but this time for the defense;

(c)    Declarer does not guess Diamonds, but the defense fails to shift to a Spade, after which it’s down just one for an average board.

 

 

 28

♠ T762

QT763

Q

♣ 843

 

♠ QJ95

84

AK872

♣ J5

          North

West             East

          South

♠ 84

AJ52

T643

♣ AQT

 
Dlr     West
Vul     N-S 


 
 
 
 
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♠ AK3

K9

J95

♣ K9762

West   North   East     South

1       Pass    1        Pass

1♠       Pass    2NT     Pass

Pass   Pass

 

After West’s minimum 1 opening, the auction comes to a screeching halt in 2NT.  It seems normal for South to lead a Club, and Declarer should take the trouble to win this in his hand … he wants to get the Diamonds going and leading them from his hand is a precaution against the singleton Queen being with South … in that case, he will duck in order to protect his Club holding.  This raises a subtle defensive point … if South actually started with QJ doubleton of Diamonds, when Declarer leads towards the board she must play the Queen … if she makes the mistake of playing the Jack, Declarer will have no option but to play the Diamonds from the top, bringing in the suit for no losers.  Anyway, all this is moot, and on the actual layout, South wins the third round of Diamonds and has no good return.  All roads lead to 9 tricks for Declarer.

 

 

 29

♠ K8

A874

KJ943

♣ A3

 

♠ QJ5

J53

765

♣ 9852

          North

West             East

          South

♠ T643

KQT62

8

♣ KT7

 
 
Dlr     North
 Vul     Both 


 
 
 
 
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♠ A972

9

AQT2

♣ QJ64

West   North   East     South

           1NT     Pass    2♣

Pass   2        Pass     3NT

Pass   Pass     Pass

 

Once North has decided to open 1NT (we know that we would), it will prove virtually impossible to find the decent Diamond slam unless N-S has some sophisticated gadgetry at its disposal (for example, some partnerships use 1NT 3♣ and 1NT 3 for such hands).

 

3NT is the likely final contract at almost all tables, and a Heart lead will no doubt hold Declarer to 9 tricks (unless she decides to play for 10 by taking the Club finesse, in which case she will be held to just 8!).

 

 

 30

♠ 6

J72

K7543

♣ A765

 

♠ AKJ7

AKQ

J62

♣ Q92

          North

West             East

          South

♠ Q542

6543

A8

♣ KT3

 

Dlr     East
Vul     None 

 


 
 
 
 
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♠ T983

T98

QT9

♣ J84

West   North   East     South

                       Pass     Pass

2NT   Pass     3♣        Pass

3♠      Pass     4♠      All Pass

 

Whether, over 2NT, E-W use regular Stayman (above auction), or Puppet Stayman (2NT 3♣, 3 4, 4♠ Pass), the final destination is likely to be 4♠ played by West.

 

Against 3NT, North has no obvious lead.  Suppose that she leads a low Heart, which looks like the least of evils looking at that hand.  Declarer’s initial plan is to win 4 Spade tricks, 3 Heart tricks, a Diamond and a Club … that’s 9 tricks, and a Diamond ruff provides number 10 … then, if the Hearts are 3-3, there will be 11, and, failing that, perhaps he can guess the J♣ for the 11th trick.  These dreams get a nasty jolt when trumps are 4-1.  Here’s how the play might start:

            2 led, won by Declarer

            A♠, then a Spade to the Queen, getting the 4-1 news

            A, and lose a Diamond

            Heart return, won by Declarer

            Diamond ruff

Now, Declarer can make 11 tricks by guessing to take an immediate finesse of the Club Nine, but this line risks the contract … if the finesse loses to the Jack, a Diamond will come back, which Dummy must ruff (South pitching a Heart) … now, if the A♣ is with North, Declarer has no way back to his hand.

 

If N-S are playing “3rd and 5th” opening leads against suit contracts, then a better line of play suggests itself:

            2 led, won by Declarer

            A♠, then a Spade to the Queen, getting the 4-1 news

            A, and lose a Diamond

            Heart return, won by Declarer (so far, the same as before)

            Cash the third high Heart (they are surely 3-3)

            Diamond ruff

            Club to the Queen and Ace

Now, the Diamond continuation holds no terrors for Declarer … he’ll ruff on the board, which South must overruff (otherwise 11 tricks) and be overruffed by Declarer.  Now Declarer will finally draw the last enemy trump, and in the 2-card ending it will be safe to take the Club finesse … this loses, but it’s still 10 tricks for Declarer.  +420 is likely to be a good board for E-W, we’d expect very few +450 scores, and some Declarers are likely to go off in this very tricky contract.

 

 

 31

♠ T7

T6432

QJT

♣ 654

 

♠ J86432

AK74

♣ AJ2

          North

West             East

          South

♠ K5

AK987

952

♣ KQ9

 

Dlr     South
Vul     N-S 


 
 
 
 
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♠ AQ9

QJ5

863

♣ T873

South   West     North   East

Pass     1♠        Pass     2

Pass     2♠        Pass     3♠

Pass     4♣        Pass    4

Pass     4♠        All Pass

 

In a 2/1 auction, that 3♠ is forcing … at this point there are various ways to proceed (see Serious 3NT article), but in the featured auction a simple approach was taken, both players making a cue-bid before subsiding in game.

 

SAYC Note:

In SAYC, 3♠ would not be forcing in the above auction, so East would no doubt just jump directly to game for the same result.

 

 32

♠ Q75

AJ864

2

♣ 6542




Bidding Quiz (East)

♠ KT84

QT2

T865

♣ QJ

          North

West             East

          South

♠ AJ

K

AKQ43

♣ AK873

 

Dlr     West
Vul     E-W 


 
 
 
 
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♠ 9632

9753

J97

♣ T9

West   North   East     South

Pass   Pass     2♣       Pass

2       Pass     3       Pass

4       Pass     4NT    Pass

5       Pass     6       All Pass

                                                         

After that 2♣ opening, the auction got quite crowded, as it so often does when the 2♣ opener has one or both of the minor suits.  4NT was Roman Key Card, and 5 showed 0 or 3 (1430 version) … some pairs would use 4 (Redwood) instead of 4NT to ask for Key Cards.  The featured auction came nowhere near to reaching 6NT, and it’s hard to see how it would after a 2♣ beginning.

 

Would things go any better if East opened 1?  That’s not without risk when holding 24 HCPs, the danger is, with so few HCPs to divide among the other hands, that 1 will be the final contract.  We tried a simulation on this, and the results indicate that opening 1 is not so risky after all (please see the Bidding Quiz for more).  After a 1 opening, the ensuing auction (if there is one!) will certainly be much easier, compare these two starts:

           

            West    East                             West    East  

            Pass    2♣                               Pass    1

            2        3                                1♠        3♣

                                                            3

 

Both auctions have reached 3 and both are game-forcing, but that’s about all they have in common.  In the 2♣ auction, East has only mentioned one of his suits and West’s hand remains a complete mystery.  In the 1 auction, East has mentioned both his suits, and West has shown Spades and a preference for Diamonds.  Quite a difference!

 

Can E-W reach 6NT after a 1 opening?  We wish we could say “No problem!”, but it’s not easy at all.  One possibly unconvincing auction might be:

 

            West    East  

            Pass    1

            1♠        3♣

            3        3

            3NT     5NT

            6NT     Pass   

 

5NT was “pick-a-slam”, the obvious choices being 6 and 6NT … 5NT can hardly be a Grand Slam Force in Diamonds, if East had wanted to do that he would not have wasted time bidding 3.  Anyway, we did warn you that the auction might not be entirely convincing!

 

Our final words on the matter are:

(a)    Don’t be afraid to open surprisingly big hands with one of a minor rather than 2♣;

(b)   Resign yourself to the fact that standard methods are just not well suited to these hands!

 

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