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The Present and The Past: Useful Agreements.

Have we improved over the years? I can answer this rhetorical question by saying “I hope so.” We can ignore those memory lapses which come with advancing years, of course! A very recent deal brought back a few memories. There is a connection between the 3 deals referred to today which will soon become apparent.

Way back in a very early National Congress, a player faced a 2NT opening. Now, that player held a flat 19 count. In those days, and indeed in some quarters these days, a 2NT opening promised 2x 5+ card minor suits and not that many high-card points. Our responder went into the memory tank and reasoned from his hand that that was the obvious meaning of their partner’s opening bid. So, with good stuffing in both major suits, they raised to 3NT and on seeing the opening lead, wished their partner well.

That was hardly necessary as their partner was also balanced and had one more high- card point than dummy! A slight system whoopsie on one side of the table!

While (unsuccessfully) searching for the actual two hands above, I came across the following from the first National Congress in 1986, from the Individual, an event famous for many of the misunderstandings that occur during the many one board partnerships one endured during a round of bridge.

North held the following: AQ43     AJ    KQJ87   J6 and heard their partner open 2. This North had remembered only seconds earlier that they had agreed to play “Strong 2s”  though one can never be sure in such an event.

Risking disaster, they checked for aces and then kings…. and all seemed to be present..far too much for a weak 2….and they proceeded to 7NT and awaited dummy with a nervous interest:

That South hand would be an impressive dummy in 7NT. I can count 17 tricks! However, all is not rosy in Paradise as the 6-0 heart break threatened anyone who made a red suit trumps at the 7-level.

No mistakes there but fast-forward some 39 years to the night before the infamous April Fools Day. One pair sat down to play a club session and went through the niceties one does with a first-time partner. "Stayman, Blackwood etc" and, "oh, if I open 2, then 2NT shows a balanced 10+ hcp.” We are forever hopeful!

A New “Rule of 29”

Well, you all know the rule/guideline for 2 openers, don’t you? The sum of your high-card points and length of your two longest suits should equal at least 29. This hand, that occurred about 10 minutes and only 2 boards into the round, more than qualified:

 

To save your maths, that is 29 high and 8 more for the length of one’s two longest suits.

Such hands are notoriously difficult to bid opposite a normal 3 or 4 count in partner’s hand. However, after starting with 2, North was somewhat taken a ‘back by South’s 2NT response. No Maths needed here..well enough only to say 7NT and thus produce one of the best dummies ever:

 

I held the third strongest hand at the table though somewhat weakly could not find an opening bid.  

That seems so straightforward with only 15 tricks this time for the combined 39 hcps. The only words of advice I can give the 36 out of 130 pairs who missed slam altogether and a further 71 who stayed in small slam is do not overuse a 2 response to 2. With 10+ and a balanced hand bid 2NT. Partner will not always have 29 hcp but it should be very useful to know the strength of the responder.

So, have we improved over the years? Those statistics shown just above (and thanks to X Clubs for providing them) indicate we may not have. At at least one table, the scratch partnership, which included one Junior player, knew the right agreements to have.

Richard Solomon

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