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Hand Analyses 4th June, 2008
There’s an abundance of links on this page, here’s what they all mean: - Notations such as Bidding Quiz (North) are links to the weekly Bidding Quiz, a selection of the 15-20 most interesting bidding situations of the week. - Each week we pick out two or three hands which are suitable for presentation in problem format, as in Play Problem 203 (West), linking you to a page with only two hands on display. Solve the problem first, then see the solution and the entire deal. - Some analyses contain references to bidding conventions, and you’ll see links to articles in our Convention Library such as Roman Key Card - In BridgeOpedia we have categorized by theme the entire history of the most instructive Wednesday Game hands, two year’s worth. Occasionally you will see a purple arrow, linking to the relevant BridgeOpedia section. For example, in this week’s Board 6, Declarer has a problem of trump control. Adjacent to the text for that hand you will see the link >>BRIDGEOPEDIA: “Trump Control”>> which will transport you to the collection of hands with the same theme.
Against 4♥, let’s suppose that, for want of better, East chooses to lead a Spade. How would you play the Hearts? Here are three reasons why Declarer should play East for the Queen: - If you have to lose a Heart it would be better to lose it to West so as to prevent a Club shift through Dummy’s King - East made a nondescript lead of a Spade, perhaps he had nothing attractive to lead. In that case he might well have led a trump … unless, of course, he held the Queen. - An enemy holding of Q9xx can be picked up only if that holding is with East. So, the right play at Trick Two is to play the A♥ and run the J♥. >>BRIDGEOPEDIA: “Suit Combinations”>> So, on this board at least, virtue is rewarded when East does indeed have the Q♥. After trumps are drawn, the Spades are cashed (Declarer pitching a Club). Now 10 tricks are assured and the only play for an 11th is if a defender has Ace doubleton of Diamonds. This turns out not to be the case, so no overtrick on this one … but an undertrick for those who misguessed the Hearts!
Over 1♠ South had a choice between: - The Unusual 2NT, which we don’t like at this vulnerability, too much defense and not enough offense in our opinion. - Pass, which would be quite reasonable - 2♣, getting a lead-director into the auction.
We like the last choice, but regardless of that it seems likely that E-W will play in 3♥ or N-S will play in 3♠. It turns out that both contracts are down one, and in both cases it is a trump promotion that provides the setting trick: - Against 3♥ East cashes the A♠ and K♠ and the 3rd round of the suit promotes a trick for West’s J♥. However, Dummy ruffs the 3rd Spade with the Queen, cashes A♣ and K♣ (pitching a Diamond), and gets his 9 tricks. The winning defense, of course, is to cash the two Diamonds before playing the 3rd round of Spades. Very nicely done by any E-W pairs who managed to beat 3♥. - Against 3♠ the winning defense is easier to find. South cashes the Clubs, shifts to the Q♥ which North must overtake. Now the 3rd round of Hearts is fatal to Declarer.
West’s 3♦ was a “jump reverse”. As the non-jump reverse of 2♦ shows a strong hand (and is forcing) there is no need for 3♦ also to show strength. So, a common treatment is for the jump reverse to be a splinter, for more on which please see the Bidding Quiz. After the splinter, East has his eye on slam, but can hardly charge into Blackwood with small doubletons in both black suits. So, he cue-bids his A♦, after which it is West who trots out Roman Key Card Blackwood. East shows “Two with” and 5NT is the “King Ask”. In this situation, do you play “Number of Kings” or “Specific King”? We suggest the latter (please see the Bidding Quiz), in which case East’s 6♥ denied a side-suit King.
Against 6♥, let’s suppose that South’s opening lead is a Spade, won in Dummy. Provided that trumps are no worse than 3-1 Declarer can count 12 tricks, coming via two Spades, 5 trumps plus a Diamond ruff on the board, one Diamond and 3 Clubs. That’s all well and good, but this is matchpoints, let’s try for 13! The best line seems to be to cross to the K♥ at Trick Two and immediately take the Club finesse. If it wins then Declarer goes after two Diamond ruffs on the board (protecting against 3-1 trumps). As it happens, just about any line of play is good for 13 tricks when the Club finesse works and the trumps are 2-2. In fact, those who got to 6NT will get an undeserved top when not only is the K♣ onside but it is also tripleton, providing four Club tricks for Declarer.
North’s jump to 3♣ was preemptive. What next by South? Well, if South trusts Partner’s preempts then she will pass that lovely 18-count, judging game to be unlikely. Actually, as it turns out, 5♣ does indeed have a play, but with the A♥ offside 10 tricks is the maximum.
Back to the bidding. After the 3♣ preempt, would you be tempted (as West) to balance with a Double? A bit risky at this vulnerability, perhaps, but West might well take the plunge. The good news is that West finds Partner with 4 Spades, but the bad news is that South will double and lead Clubs, causing Declarer to lose trump control. Eventually it will be down one (or maybe two) and a good board for N-S.
As North, having passed originally, what is your choice the second time around, after Partner has opened 1♠? We’d say that there are two answers to this question, depending upon whether your general style is SAYC-based or 2/1: - Playing SAYC: In these methods, this hand is too good for a 1NT response, and the obvious bid is 2♥, after which South rebids 2NT, and that is the end of that. - Playing 2/1: If this is the method in use then North has the Forcing NT at her disposal (or, as she is a passed hand, let’s make that the so-called semi-Forcing NT). This 1NT is more wide-ranging than “standard” methods and is a viable alternative to that 2♥ bid. We actually like 1NT here, the hand has a No-Trumpish look about it, and 1NT could well be the right place if Partner has opened light in 3rd seat. If Partner has 4 Hearts then she’ll tell us … and if she has 3 Hearts we’ll just have to hope that No Trump plays better than the 5-3 Heart fit.
Either way, on the actual hand, it looks as if N-S are destined to play this one in 2NT, though, depending on the methods in use, it could be played from either side: - If North plays 2NT: The best that the defense can do is to scoop up 5 tricks, and the only way to do that is if East finds an opening Heart lead. But a Club lead seems more likely, and that allows Declarer to set up the Spades and establish 9 tricks before the defense can get to their 5. - If South plays 2NT: In this case, Hearts will have been bid by North and a Heart lead is even more unlikely. West has an ugly choice of opening leads, let’s say that he guesses to lead a Diamond. We’ll leave it up to you to figure out the details, but this time it is 10 tricks.
So, we are predicting a bunch of +150 and +180 scores on this board, with a top for those optimistic N-S pairs who stumbled into game.
This looks like an uncontroversial auction, at least until that final 4♠ bid. Did West miscount his points? Was he desperate for a top? Or did he just do some sensible hand evaluation? Please see the Bidding Quiz.
Against 4♠ the defense starts with Diamonds, Declarer ruffing the second round. The bidding and the play of the Diamonds surely marks South with the K♣, so a good ploy at Trick Three would be to lead the Q♣. The play might be as follows: K♦ wins the opening trick Another Diamond is ruffed Q♣ covered by the King and Ace Spade to the Ace T♠ is cashed Now, Declarer plays another Club while there is still a trump in his hand to handle a Diamond continuation. If the J♣ is with North (the actual case), then it will be 11 tricks. And also 11 tricks if South started with KJ doubleton in Clubs and is unable to give North a ruff. >>BRIDGEOPEDIA: “Trump Control”>>
East was certainly maximum for that 1NT response, perhaps he was tempted to upgrade on the basis of those useful fillers. But, as a converse argument, his hand was square, so 1NT looks fine to us.
Against 3NT, South has an obvious T♥ opening lead, to North’s Queen and Declarer’s Ace. The key to making 12 tricks here is to find the winning plays in the Spade suit and the Diamond suit: - Spades: If the T♠ is doubleton or if the suit is 3-3 then it doesn’t really matter how Declarer tackles this suit. But he can give himself an extra chance by leading twice towards Dummy’s KJ93, in case South started with the doubleton Ace. - Diamonds: There is a tiny advantage (just 2%) in cashing the A♦ and then finessing towards the long hand. Bridge is often an unfair game, but on this deal the percentage play in both suits is also the play that wins! So, 12 tricks come rolling in, at least for some Declarers.
Pity poor West on this deal! He has a two-loser hand, his Partner has some values, and yet even game is impossible! After West’s 2♣, we wouldn’t advocate a positive 3♦ response from East, that suit is weak, and 3♦ will have a cramping effect on the auction. So East temporizes with a waiting 2♦, then shows Diamonds next time around. West bids Spades, then Hearts, then more Spades, and East, with nothing in Partner’s two suits, sensibly passes.
So, West plays in 4♠, and it is up to North to find an opening lead. What is your choice? Dr Goodlead’s thoughts on the subject were: “Not a Heart, course, and the other three suits are all fraught with danger. Declarer might be 7=4=0=2 and Dummy might have the A♣ and the K♦ … if that’s the case then laying down the A♦ will let Declarer’s Club loser vanish. Or, Declarer might be 7=4=2=0 and Dummy might have A♣ in which case a Club lead will give him an entry to the board and a Diamond pitch, a double disaster. And leading a singleton trump is always dangerous. I suppose I’ll lead a trump, my holding in Declarer’s second suit does rather suggest that lead”. Yes, a trump lead works fine, holding Declarer to 9 tricks, so does a Diamond lead. The key is to avoid the Club lead, that is fatal for the defense (likewise a Heart, of course).
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