 HOTW10 |
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| Wendy Miller says " I wonder if any N/S found their major game and if so did E/W appreciate that an apparent save is in fact game their way too!! At our table it went 1S - p - 2S - p - p - 3C - p - p [having failed originally, miserably, to raise to 3S thus hopefully preventing bid from E.] I now raised to 3S when W rather belatedly decided to raise to 4C which was passed out - fortunately for us the play was not obvious to our opposition even with the favourable lead - you can guess having failed to bid my hearts partner not unreasonably led my suit! "
Editor - I don't know if any N/S pairs bid to either 4H or 4S which both can make but three E/W pairs did bid to 5C but none was successful owing to misplaying the diamond suit. With a one way finesse against South it does seem clear that correct play is to start with the King of Diamonds which on this occasion reveals both the Queen dropping from East and the probable correct line. |
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| HOTW9 |
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Tuesday March 22nd Board 17
What a hand! At our table chaos reigned. Partner chose to open 4NT. Was this a big minor two suiter or was it the convention asking me to name any aces held? And if it was the latter then what was the system of responses? This bid has never cropped up before and I admit to not being totally au fait with the convention. So I hedged my bets by bidding 5C my preferred minor and I held the Ace of clubs. Partner bid 5D so it can't have been better minor so I now cue bid 5H and partner bid 6D. As he acerbically pointed out afterwards I should have known that 5C denied an ace, 5NT showed the ace of clubs and 6C would have shown two aces. Silly me! So my ignorance cost us a cold 7NT as the bidding should have gone 4NT-6C-7NT. Simple really.
Afterwards partner said "I couldn't open with a strong two because I didn't meet the rule of 25 or have 8 certain tricks". Was he correct? To find out have a read of the article on the home page about opening strong twos. |
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| HOTW8 |
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| I put this hand to a friend of mine and this is his (edited) commentary:
Firstly why would anyone want to play this hand in 3NT? Surely the bidding should go
West East
1H 1S
2NT 3H
4H
You have to be a pair of nutcases to play this one in 3NT.....
However, that's not the question, so what's the best play in 3NT?
Where are 9 tricks coming from? We might play for the Hearts to break nicely
(K x or K x x onside) and play a low Club at trick two. If the Queen wins
then we take a Heart finesse and play a Spade, guaranteeing a second entry
to dummy (one Spade, five Hearts, two Diamonds and a Club). If the defence
takes the Club and plays another Diamond then we need K x of Hearts right.
It is a slight improvement, I think, to play the CA at trick two - if the CK
drops then we are in easy street, if not we play another Club. If the oppo
take that and play a Diamond we may need K x of Hearts onside again; if not
we take the Heart finesse and play a Spade. It's very easy for the defenders
to err and duck the Club with K x x, the more so if you've cashed the CA
first.
What are the alternative plays? A Spade at trick two? Well, suppose the SA
is right and North ducks (best defence may well be to rise with the SA and
play another Diamond). Now what? I suppose we might run the CQ and CJ,
gaining if South has the C: K x (picking up five Club tricks) or C: K x x
where we take three Clubs and revert to Hearts (three Clubs, four Hearts,
two Diamonds and a Spade). If the SA is offside then we are in deep ****
though, as South will win and shoot down the second Diamond stop leaving the
contract in severe difficulties (West needs both Kings right, with one of
them doubleton). Still, it IS possible that South could duck the Spade
(stranger things have happened) and now we run the CQ. The problem here is
that the CQ may win with North holding the CK. Now a second Club loses and
we go down... Of course, we could revert to Hearts instead of the second
Club finesse, making two Clubs, four Hearts, two Diamonds and a Spade. If
either King is doubleton then we have overtricks.
Playing a Spade at trick two has its upside in that most defenders will
allow the SQ to win, regardless of the location of the SA. Now we run the CQ
and we are OK for nine if either finesse is right.
So playing a Spade at trick two is probably the best bet. If the defenders
win the SA (best, regardless of who has it) and play another Diamond I'm
going to need both Kings right; if the SQ holds I'm a strong favourite to
make 3NT and may conceivably make overtricks.
BTW - is this pairs? If so I expect a zero for 3NT making as the world, his
wife, his dog and his wives would all be in 4H making. It is inconceivable
that everyone (anyone?) is in 3NT on this deal (and your description below
that the majority seems to have reached the No-trump Game leaves me
flabbergasted - was there a cider-drinking contest on the side?). Playing a
Spade at trick two is probably the only line that might rack up overtricks. And it's a rule of bridge that the worse you play, the luckier you are. |
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| HOTW7 |
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There were many interesting deals for this year's Mendip Swiss Teams at Draycott. Our thanks and congratulations for jobs well done go to Anne Skinner, who made arrangements for the event, and to Eric Cummings who prepared the boards, directed and scored the event so efficiently and expeditiously. Deal 2 provoked discussion in our team. It provided a good result for us. No doubt it would have provoked even more discussion had it turned out badly.
East the dealer will pass. The South hand qualifies for a weak 2 H opening, though it often pays not to open with a pre-emptive bid ahead of partner, especially holding 4 of the other major. If it is opened 2H, West will double for take-out, North will probably pass and East has to find a bid. 2NT says: “Partner I have a H stopper.”, and 2D: “Partner, you have forced me to bid. My suit is Diamonds.” South has said his piece and West will raise 2NT to 3 or bid 3 C (a new suit at the 3 level, forcing for 1 round). North may then risk raising to 3H, leaving East to bid 3NT expecting a Heart lead.
At our table things took a different course. West opened 1C after two passes, East responded 1D and South ventured 1H, 3D by W and then 3H from North was passed out. The A of D was led followed by the K which was trumped. When a S to the Jack held, followed by the H finesse,10 tricks were made for 170. At the other table the bidding went along similar lines until East bid 3NT over 3H anticipating a H lead. Indeed a H was led and there was sufficient ammunition to ensure 10 tricks and score 430 before N/S could enjoy their established H and S. Had the Q of S been in the East hand and the K of H with W, 3 H would go at least 1 down and 3NT would certainly make, but as the cards lie, a S lead would see N/S taking the first 9 or 10 tricks. 3NT minus 6! Would you have found the killing lead? It was not easy to see at the time but there is certainly a case for trying to get partner on lead and, if C's and D's have been bid, if he has an entry there he will get on lead at some stage, so why not try the 2 of S?
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| HOTW6 |
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Playing 3NT as East can you make 12 tricks? I only made 11 at the table but saw how to make 12 after the last card was played - how often does that happen! I got 8H lead, followed by the 2,T & K. I am fairly certain on the lead that N has QH, so what I should have done is cashed the four spade tricks (throwing 5D on fourth spade) and finessed the heart. North has had to find three discards on my majors. If he discards a club I can win three club tricks, so his best discards are three diamonds. On the fourth heart I can discard a small diamond from dummy. I should have then cashed my AD leaving the following four cards in each hand N – C KT42 E – C J753 S – D KJ and C 86 W – C AQ9 and DQ I then play the AC followed by the QC and now North must give me three club tricks for 12 tricks altogether. Had North discarded a club, I would not have cashed the AD, but finessed the club, won the diamond return and made the rest of the clubs again for twelve tricks. What I didn't get right at the table was to play off the majors first to put North under pressure. |
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| HOTW5 |
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| This was an exceptionally interesting hand from a recent club night at Wells. In every case the contract was played by West, five times in 5C and once in 6C but what were North/South doing with their ten card heart fit? What is your opening call on the East hand? Not really strong enough to open either 1C or 1S? Could pass and see what happens or could open a weak 2S even though you hold a five card second suit. For me 2S is clear because of its maximum pre-emptive value. If East calls anything except 2S then South has an easy heart bid. West will bid 3C and I would expect North to raise to 4H showing a pre-emptive type raise rather than a raise based on values which he could show with an Unassuming Cue Bid of either 3S or 4C. After 4H East will be delighted to bid 5C and then N/S need to decide whether to pass, double or go to 5H. Pass is unbelievably timid and scores zero marks so it's 5H or double? Any clues? Well if it went as I suggested then North's immediate raise to 4H shows a hand with lots of hearts but not much else and so the suggestion is that it would be better to bid on rather than double. Three pairs didn't see it that way and conceded 950 when 5C rolled in. One pair bid 6C which suggests that they were pushed there by opponents pushing to 5H.
What happens though if East opens 2S? I hope South still bids 3H but if he chooses to double West will bid 3C, North may well pass (I only had 7 points partner and we were vulnerable), East will bid 5C and it's then very hard for South to suddenly bid 5H.
There was lots to think about for everyone. What should East say first, should South overcall or double, should West introduce her clubs at the three level and should North bid on and on sacrificing over however many clubs E/W bid?
The par result would seem to be 6Hx-3 for -800 but most E/Ws will stop in 5C and 5Hx-2 will still be a great result - in fact a top. |
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| HOTW4 |
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| I played this hand at Bath Bridge Club last week against two excellent younger players. I opened a perfectly respectable weak no trump and that ended an auction which required no questions before West selected his opening lead. Before he does so please spend a moment looking at the West hand alone and consider what you would have led. Most declarers emerged with 6 tricks because I assume most Wests led the two of hearts enabling declarer to rack up three hearts, two diamonds and a spade.
Not so at table Russ. For some reason West plonked the Jack of clubs on the table as his opening lead after which I quickly lost the first four tricks ending up with East's ten. He then rather unkindly switched to the King of Spades so that was another two black suit tricks down the drain when West got in with his Ace of Hearts. I will admit that I also lost a second heart trick and was three down for not many match points - none in fact.
Did you consider leading the Jack (or King) of clubs? The heart two looks perfectly reasonable although the chances of setting up a long heart do seem remote. Was it a clever or a stupid lead? Would it be successful most of the time or was it a flash in the pan? I don't know but it was 18 match points to West and none to me. |
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| HOTW3 |
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| Thanks to Sheena Lanham for this one:
East opened 1H, and I as south bid 2C, East passed (by the way I think East should bid 2H. Easy if you are playing 5 card majors, but even if you aren't you are showing partner you have some points and some heart support and making Norths bid more difficult). The point of the hand is what should North bid? As East passed, North has options, 3C or how about 2H? Many players when in an overcall competitive situation use a cue bid of the oppositions suit to show a good raise in partners suit.Here North only has a 9 count, but this includes 2 Aces (certain tricks) and a singleton in the openers suit and two more clubs to ruff with, so very likely 4 certain tricks. Very nice support. So assuming the bidding has gone W-1H, S-2C, E-P, N-2H, W-P It is now back to South. Partner has shown a good raise, should south just bid 3C or go to 5C? Had my partner bid 2H I would have had that problem. As it was my partner down valued her hand and bid 3C which is where we played to make 10 tricks. But as to my previous question, should South go to 5C over 2H? Probably not. N/S are vulnerable against not, so any overcall should be reasonable, and south is minimum in values, and although the shape initially looks good, the second suit is hearts so not a second suit that could be established. As it was had clubs been 2/2 then I would have made 5C. |
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| HOTW2 |
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| This was Board 5 on a recent club night at Wells. Both North and East had easy first bids but what should South bid holding 12 points, 5 card club support and a 6 loser hand? Two clubs would be hopelessly weak, Three clubs would be used rather more pre-emptively and Four Clubs goes past the magical 3NT. 5C would be stretching a bit , would bypass 3NT and maybe would miss a slam. The answer is the Unassuming Cue bid or UCB. I have no idea why it is called that but who cares because it's a very useful tool which involves bidding the opponents' suit to show a good rather than a pre-emptive raise in partner's suit. So in this case a bid of 2D shows a good raise to at least 3C. Likewise an UCB of 3D would show a raise to 4C. After 2D West may bid 2H or 2S or Pass. Whatever, North will bid 3C and then South can bid 3D this time asking if North can help with a diamond stop. The answer is negative so North cues 3H to show the heart control, South reciprocates with 3S, North bids 4C to show nothing else to say and South now tries again with 4H showing second round control. With nothing else to say North bids 5C and that is that as neither player has shown second round control in spades. Notice that Blackwood is useless here as it is impossible to play in 5C if you get the wrong reply to your enquiry. |
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