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No time to moan!

Are you tired of flat 5 counts? Generally, that is the type of hand we all hold, or say we do! Actually, it is interesting when that is all one holds and the opposition bid all the way to 2S. What has our partner got? That, though, is for another day. On this one, you have been dealt a hand with far more hcp and a very extreme shape. No moans, today, please.

 

1NT shows 12-14 hcp. You have 15 hcp. What do you bid?

Most players have a convention to show both majors, usually 2 of a minor. Maybe that is the way to start? Maybe that is a fine way to end the bidding, too! Well, if you tried 2 and your partner had 6 clubs and 2 cards in each major and few high card points, would you blame them for passing? Certainly not!

That is why there is an alternative approach designed to avoid such a calamity. Yes, you could double 1NT knowing that West or North would be bound to run from this contract. Yet, how would you get such a “monster” hand and shape across to your partner? Much of the time, game might be the limit. Only an ultra-pessimist would want to play any contract below game even if once out of the blue, they were correct.

So, how about finding a bid partner cannot/will not pass? This bid is 2NT which you might think shows both minors and on the face of it, that is what it does show. However, there is a second meaning, a really strong 2-suited hand like the above, any two suits. When your partner chooses a minor in which to play, you can bid your lower major…and after a moment or six’s puzzlement, partner will realise what you are showing. Let’s look at all 4 hands and see what might have happened:

 

As you can see, North thought they had quite a suitable hand opposite at least 10 cards in the minors. 5 said otherwise!

It is of course debatable as to whether North would consider their hand suitable for slam opposite a strong major hand. J94 of trumps and an outside ace is a “maybe”. Also, South may prefer to emphasise their spade suit by bidding 5 instead, though that would confuse North as to which was their partner’s second suit.

In that sense, this is not the best example of this use of 2NT but it is a lot better than bidding 2 or 2 after the 1NT opening. Luckily, North only had 5 clubs this time and had 3 hearts. Indeed, had North bid 2, it would be a great time to try a 4 splinter…and North might just co-operate with 4. We will return to such bidding shortly.

No North/South pair got to grips with this deal over a 1NT opening with most auctions subsiding in game. Other South players were faced with what to do when East opened 1. The most common approach with both majors is to bid 2, at least 5-5 in the majors, the strength being by agreement.

Only 2 pairs found slam after this opening bid. Helen Fitzgerald and Deidre Leach both displayed a bit of daring with this sequence:

Deidre saw potential and with an ace, Helen raised her and was well rewarded!

The other successful pair use 2NT to show both majors but others could have bid the same way after “surviving” a heart response to 2 from South:

4 showed first round club control and a try for slam opposite very little. Jo, North, had a little more than very little and no doubt awaited dummy with great interest after Sam had jumped to slam following her 4 cue.

With East opening the bidding, grand slam is favourite to make but even bidding small slam was more than most could achieve. West did have one king and anyone in grand-slam would not have appreciated that king being in hearts.

The 2NT call following a 1NT opening is worth remembering for the times one holds a freak hand. Those South players who sold out to game should not bemoan any more flat 5 counts if they could not be a little more adventurous with a deal like this. Certainly, game may be the limit but one should be able to investigate for something higher.

Richard Solomon

 

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