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“Four Play”

Are you ready to see how to execute a “Guard Squeeze” or a “Mole Squeeze?” Yes, they exist but they must wait for another day. Today could be a case of “being on your guard” as we investigate the real “cut and thrust” world of competitive bridge.

To whet your appetite, here are two problems:

Dealer South. All Vul.  You are East holding:

 K632

 653

 Q5

AKQJ

West              North                        East                South

                                                                                 Pass

Pass                1                            x                      1

x                      Pass                          ?

and while you are brooding over that one, move to the North

seat for this. Your hand is:

 J65

 AT532

 Q4

K94

Dealer West. N/S Vul.

 West             North                        East                South

 Pass               Pass                         1                  1NT

Pass                2¹                                 Pass                Pass

3                  ?

¹ transfer to

West did think for just a short time before passing 1NT.

How can two fairly straightforward deals become so “crooked”? In the first, your partner is being quite active for a passed hand. In the second, your partner has become quite “inactive” for one that seconds earlier had deemed  to show a strong 1NT overcall.

In traditional Master Solvers style, we will award marks for your answers though unlike Master Solvers Club, we will award marks based on the end result rather than what be theoretically correct.

So to the first problem. We are going to award top marks to 1NT. Partner has shown some values with their double and you do have a 15 count, if that is the kind of value 1NT shows. Whether it shows or indeed whether you have a diamond hold is somewhat debatable. Indeed, it was going to be hard for either West or East to actually own up to a real hold:

 

At the table, East bid 2 which might have got the job done had West called 3 following a value showing double from South. However, West chose 2 which closed the auction..making 8 tricks for 110 but 5 imps away, Swiss Pairs scoring. Half the field bid and made 3NT usually from the East seat, and probably after less N/S bidding. Three pairs went down in this rather fortunate contract.

Even if N/S were in the bidding, the K lead does nothing for the defence. A spade is a much better start. However, East will win the first or second round in dummy, cross to the East hand and will try the heart suit. The news could not be better for East who should come to 9 tricks whether or not the defence give East a diamond trick.

So: 1NT – 100, Pass-80  2 - 60 (I am not sure that East would move over West’s club raise…and East did not disturb partner’s 2 bid.) The generous award to Pass is on the basis you will defend correctly by either leading a trump or switching to one very smartly when declarer plays a club early in the play.

Now you have got the idea, what about the second hand? At the table, North passed West’s 3 call and so did everyone else, much to the relief of two players at the table. So, you think it was best and will score well for bidding 3NT? No way! Top marks go to the “I’ve got some points but do not know what to do with them” double”.  Partner would then know….

 

North-South defended better than they bid, taking this inelegant contract 5 light for +250, a little less of a score than 11 of their colleagues who got to the no trump game, which just had to make with the J falling on the second round.

So, 100 points for double. 60 for 3NT or 3since that surely will wake South up. 40 for 3 which may send the wrong message and a generous 20 (well, it’s nice to be judge and jury) for the pass. South did comment that despite the unusual pass of the transfer, he would always have his bid being vulnerable. Maybe, but vulnerability did not stop North’s rather aggressive action on the first deal.

So, we have not yet commented on the two opening bids, united by the number of points the miscreants held. They were hard earnt imps, mentally, by North and East respectively on the two boards. East, on the second board, was very close to being well “up the creek without any paddle”! Just two routine relatively uneventful boards at most tables. It is amazing what a slice of “four play” can do!

Richard Solomon

 

 

 

 

 

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