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Bread and Butter.

Yes, a day early for our easier Friday deal. Well, it’s Waitangi Day: so, why not!

Today’s deal should not have caused the declaring side many problems though is quite educational. Our game is not all about freaky deals and slams.

 

What should South bid here?

This hand is worthy of a jump in spades. If you only bid 1, you will be limited to 8 hcp, maybe a poor 9 count. Your partner will not necessarily take any further action if you bid 1 and that could end the bidding when you have game on. So, 2 it is showing 9-11 hcp, obviously not more here as you are a passed hand, but no more even if you were not. If you had the same number of hcp and 5 spades, you can bid 3 and with any more hcp and or spades, you would bid to game.

So, as long as you bid 2 here, the bidding should flow as below:

 

However you play 3, South should reply 3NT with a fair hold in opener’s suit. 3 probably did ask for a hold.

West leads Q, a reasonable lead from their holding (it stops doubleton J in dummy scoring a trick) and declarer can assess the situation. They would not want to lose the lead to East as a second diamond through would spell defeat. With 3 certain tricks in each major and one in each minor, South only needs one more trick. The other key fact is that West opened the bidding and is likely to have most of the defence’s high cards…as long as theirs was not a light opener!

So win K and firstly test spades since if that produces 4 tricks, you are home. No finesse though as if West scored J, they would exit passively and you would still be searching for trick number 9.

Today, West discards a heart on the third round of spades and you must therefore rely on clubs. J brings out K from West and declarer wins and knocks out Q, with great relief finding it in the West hand…and the contract makes comfortably, 3 tricks in three suits and a diamond.

However, some declarers found their way to 4. Here, the lead is likely to be a heart or K. There are two certain diamond losers unless West misdefends and one sure club loser. The onus is on South to get trumps right or else they will be in trouble. Let’s say the lead was 3, the middle of 3 small cards. South will win and play a spade to the king and a second spade to the ace but there is no sign of the J. The correct play is by no means certain. If West holds 5 diamonds and let’s say a 3 card club suit, the lowish heart would suggest some length in that suit. They are unlikely to be leading a shortish suit looking for a ruff when their partner could not bid. 

So, it begins to look as though West may have started with only two spades. Insert the 10 on the third round, draw East’s remaining spade and play clubs just like you are in no trumps. Once again, 10 tricks should be made.

There were some casualties in this contract. Indeed, both contracts would be harder to play had West not opened the bidding. Bread and butter game made? I hope so.

Richard Solomon

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