Play with an Expert – Commentary by Alec
The hands have been taken from the May 2023 Spring Fours Final – The North South pair were either Andrew Robson/Alexander Alfrey or Peter Berthau/Peter Crouch E/W were Glyn Liggins/Andrew Dyson or Erik Berg/Tor Eyvind Grude - there is a link on the website for the results and card by card play through
Recommended auctions (weak NT first) – this hasn’t been proofread yet so apologies for any typo’s
- P P 1N 2H P P 1C 2H
X P 3C P X P 2S P
P P 3S P P P
Not much to choose between a part score in clubs and defending 3H’s, if bid, for NS. A Spade Moysian fit partial may be played but will come under too much pressure on repeated hearts when played by N
- – 1S P 2C - P 1S 1N
P 2D P 3D P 2D P 3D
P 3H P 3N P 3H P 3S
P 5D? P 4S
5D is by far the best game contract, but maybe difficult to find, 4S needs very careful handling when forced early with a C (and the club J under the 10) to make, and 3NT needs the club J right AND one of the H/S behaving.
- - - P P - - 1H P
1D 2H 3C P 2D P 2H P
6C P P P 2S P 2N P
3C P 5C P
6C
Bizarrely if South opens 1H the club slam is much more difficult to find as after 1H – 2D - ??? the club suit maybe lost and 3NT played. Not much to the play – 7 is on the Diamond finesse.
- - - - 1D - - - 1N
P 1S X 1N P 2H X 2S
2H P P 2S 3H P P P
3H P P P
A classic H/S contested auction at pairs – but at teams (IMP scoring) it will matter little, +100 or +140 to E/W.
- 1S 2C P 2H
P 2S P 2N
P 3N P P
P
Although I greatly dislike overcalling with 5 card suits at the 2 level this is one hand (E) where it is fine – length in the opposition suit will almost guarantee some support. Also the hand is too good to stay shtum. After E hears of the S guard 3NT is an easy reach.
- – P 1N P - P 1C P
P P 1H P 2H P
P P
a NS part score hand with loads of guesses in the rounded
suits – I wouldn’t be surprised to see a difference of 3 tricks in the same contract (2H) if the hearts are mis guessed.
- - - 1S P - - 1C 1D
1N P P P 1H P 1N P
P P
Sorry but I can’t see much to say about this one – as dull as they are dealt for teams
- - - - 1H
P 2C 4S X
P 4N* P 6H * 2 places playable
Much more like it. How high to Preempt? Will it help the opposition bid to their slam or get in their way? 4S is about right if you think they have definitely got game on (highly likely after a 1H – 2C start). It won’t cost more than 2 Imps when wrong and can gain if it keeps them out of the slam.
- 1C P 1S 1N
3S X 4S X
P P P
I cannot see anything other than 4SX unless EW go overboard. On a good day it makes, or is a good save (oddly against 3NT here – not 4H) or it jostles EW to high. After 1C pass it is poor bridge to pass – you must have a better place to play.
- – 1C 1D 1H - 1N P 2C
P 1N P 3N P 2D P 3N
With a difficult rebid after a 1C opening, and the overall strength of the hand I think treating this hand as a 15 count balanced and bidding as such solves any issues – if North can get a S bid in (or a Spade is lead without it) then both 3NT and 5C will fail on the Club finesse (no peaking)
- - - 1H 1S
P 2H* P 4S * good S raise
Expect all EW to be in 4S – on the auto H lead from N the finesse shouldn’t be taken – then after drawing trumps eliminate the H’s and C’s and the HH doubleton in D’s provides the over trick – no cigar here but valuable on a pairs night.
- - - - 1H - - - 1N
1S X P 2H 2S 2NX P 3CX
P P P P 3N P 4H
The 3rd upgradeable semi-balanced 14 count. Take whichever of the above auctions you please, if you upgrade to a 15 count (I probably would) don’t be surprised to find yourself in a no play game
- P P 1H* X
2H 2S P 4S * you want a H lead from partner – and you may buy the contract at a low level.
4S should be easily reached and even if S held both KQ of clubs after the D and H’s are gone the first C finesse endplays S.
- – 3S P P
P
It takes a big leap of faith to think that 4H will play better than 3S, it usually won’t, however you won’t get doubled in 4H and when it is right then you gain big – it won’t ever cost a lot though.
- - - 1N P - - 1C P
2H P 2S P 1S P 1N P
3N P P P 2D P 3S P
3N
A relatively straight forward 3 NT to bid and make – no further comment
- - - - 2H
P 4H P P
This is a feisty board – the above auction is just one of many possibilities – no game can be made in theory but 4S is very close – and made doubled at the table – this is a fascinating hand to run through trick by trick on replay – the contract keeps flicking from 1 off to making on DD from trick to trick, and ends up making when East is squeezed in the minors!
- P P 1S P
1N P 3C P
3N P P P
A horrible misfit with South having just shy of a game force after a response, and North must respond as a fit elsewhere must be better – so much so that I would have done so at teams, you can’t afford to mis a thin game. Once NS are above 2S then EW are going positive.
- - P 1D 1S
2C 2S 3S P
5C P 6C
12 top tricks in either minor, missing AH didn’t prove any problem for the experts nothing much in the play – with the intervention of West perhaps it is easier for south to visualize slam – with no Spade losers and partner having no wasted values in S
- - - P P - - 1N X
1S X 3S P P P P
P X P 4D
P P P
Points are 20-20 – both sides with 9 card fits – both can make 9 tricks – a perfect LAW hand. BUT… Opener (N) again with a 14 count balanced hand with a 5 card Major, treated it as a 15+ hand, thus missing the spade fit, but keeping EW from their diamond fit.
- - - - P - - - P
1S P 2D P 1S P 1N P
2N P 3D P 2N P 3N
4C P 4N P
5D* P 6D P
P P * 3 KC’s
6 Diamonds is a good contract (over 80%) just needing the Spades no worse than 4-2. This hand is awkward playing the currently popular 2/1 game forcing (15-17NT). I have sympathy with anyone in 6D going off with Spades 5-1
- 2S 3H P P 2S 3H 3S p
P P
Is there really a case for biding game here? Only if the diamond fit is unearthed and that’s not happening once North opens 2S (or multi). If you reach 4S it is a hand worth playing safely – don’t try for overtricks if a Diamond is lead/switched to.
- - 1H P 2C - 1N P 4N
P 2N P 4N P 6N P P
P 6N P
With 33 points and no fit 6NT seems the spot – but with only 10 guaranteed winners some good guessing and technique will be required. It is technically incorrect to lead the QH from the west hand – the finesse is leading to the QJ of H’s twice.
- - - P P
P 1H 1S 3S
4S 5D P 5H
P P P
Anyone for the Verboten 5 over 5? Here it is correct, as a save – but only because of the position of the 9 and 10 of Diamonds means 5H can make (doesn’t mean that it will, it didn’t at the table) – NS are definitely going minus if they bid 5S so best not to and hope 5H is also off.
- - - - P - - - P
1D P 2N P 1D P 2D* P
3D P P P 3D P P P * - inverted (strong) response
SOUTH - Don’t punish/disrespect partner – you have described your hand adequately with 2NT – they know it is teams and will bid 3NT if it has any sort of reasonable chance.
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