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Daily Bridge in New Zealand

 A “No Go” Area?

When the opposition show a flat 20-22 hcp hand to open the bidding, it is normally a “no go” area for the opposition. You would need something special to bid at the 3-level when 2NT is opened on your right. Is the following hand “that special”?

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8 7 3

A K Q 7 6 5

K 9 7 5

 

West

North

East

South

 

 

Pass

Pass

2 NT

?

 

 

The answer is that it surely depends on two “ifs”.

The first is “if” the contract remains in no -trumps because just for once, you do not have a difficult lead.

The second is “if” either declarer or dummy has  four diamonds headed by the jack or 10. That would spoil your enjoyment of defending!

However, it does seem quite likely that East will transfer to spades. You will still be on lead, or should be, but your trick-taking potential has reduced.

So, you decide that bidding now might prove better in order to gain a plus score. You try 3Diamond-small and the bidding proceeds as follows:

 

8 7 3

A K Q 7 6 5

K 9 7 5

 

West

North

East

South

 

 

Pass

Pass

2 NT

3 

Pass

Pass

3 

Pass

3 ♠

4 

4 ♠

?

 

 

You are playing Teams and both sides are vulnerable. What now? 3Heart-small was presumably a 5-card suit.

Perhaps there are times when you just have to bow down to an opponent’s strength. You have really shown your hand by bidding and if your partner has something really freaky, they could still bid on. It is not that you have pushed them into 4Spade-small as they were likely to have done so anyway. At the table, North bid 5Diamond-small and was faced, not surprisingly, with the task of making it doubled. That proved too hard:

East Deals
Both Vul

8 7 3

A K Q 7 6 5

K 9 7 5

A K Q

A Q 10 9 2

9 3

A Q 2

 

N

W

 

E

S

 

9 8 7 5 2

6 4

2

J 10 8 6 4

 

J 10 6 4 3

K J 5

J 10 8 4

3

 

West

North

East

South

 

 

Pass

Pass

2 NT

3 

Pass

Pass

3 

Pass

3 ♠

4 

4 ♠

5 

Pass

Pass

Dbl

All pass

 

 

 

Had partner a void club, then 5Diamond-smallx would be close to making, defeated by a heart ruff. As it was, three rounds of hearts (a ruff on the third round) were followed by a club trick for the defence, -500, 2 down. Meanwhile, the unpleasant spade break meant that 4Spade-small was about to be defeated: two trump tricks, a diamond and a losing club finesse. 5Diamond-smallx was close to being a successful sacrifice but not on this day.

Had North passed 2NT, East would transfer to spades (3Heart-small) and would probably pass 3Spade-small if their partner did not jump to game. That would leave it for North to make a brave balancing 4Diamond-small bid in order to record a plus score (unless East scored their heart ruff and West did not continue to the spade game).

At other tables, contracts ranged from 3Heart-small through to 4Spade-small (all major suit contracts), all being or should have been defeated. With East being declarer in spade contracts more than once, it seemed other North players had overcalled 2NT.

It takes a special hand to overcall a strong 2NT opening. Our North above had that. Taking the bidding to the 5-level was perhaps just a little too optimistic.

Heading Upwards

     

North Deals
Both Vul

 

N

W

 

E

S

   
 

A Q J 6 3 2

A K 9 3

Q 4

10

 

West

North

East

South

 

1 ♣

Pass

1 ♠

Pass

2 ♣

Pass

2 

Pass

2 ♠

Pass

?

You are lucky enough to be playing a system where 2Heart-small is a one – round force. Where to from here?

Richard Solomon

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