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AVOID THOSE MINORS

Two boards played this week proved some well-known rules about where you should be playing game if you can and conversely what to avoid. They both involved some potentially hefty opposition pre-emption.

One involved one of those ugly re-opening situations. With both pairs vulnerable, what is your choice of (in) action when confronted with the following:

West          North         East            South

1¹                     3        Pass            Pass

?

¹ 3+ clubs

and as West you hold:

 AKQ

 KQ87

3

AJT42

It would be a very sad day if this contract made but you are unable to make a penalty double. So, do you take the plus or go for more? If you move, partner almost certainly needs some length in clubs and if 3NT is your choice, then they need to look after diamonds as well.  

I have a good partner who answered most of my needs:

 

J lead against 3NT did not help the defence but nothing would. I tried my best for them by managing to lose 2 club tricks but even so made 9 in some comfort. Meanwhile, four of the five declarers who were in a minor suit game failed. A lead beats West’s 5 legitimately (similarly 5) though both minor games can be made from the East seat …but who would want to be there if South held one heart?

The one pair who defended 3 collected 300 from which you may conclude that the 3NT punt may be worth it about half of the time.

The “avoid a minor” message was repeated a few boards later.

 

Whatever one thinks of East’s 1 opening here, it worked a treat. Slightly conservatively, South passed as did North over West’s 2 raise. East’s leap to 4 ensured there would be no further bidding. South led their singleton and switched to the J though held that trick as well. Could North really envisage that declarer held a seven card suit on the side? Declarer was thus blissfully untroubled with no-one realising how weak and two –suited he was until later.

A 1 opening from East would certainly have brought South into the auction. It would then depend how much part East would play in a highly competitive auction as to whether they could make a game score. East-West’s best chance after their opponents bid to 5 would seem to be if South led a club against 5 or 5. Three East-West pairs played the board in clubs while only four of the 12 East- West pairs made it to the spade game, all making.

Unless you were North-South, this was another deal to be out of the minor suit…and the 1 opening got East-West off to a very good start. Some boards do need to be played in a minor suit but where there are 2/3 losers, game elsewhere is best if you can find that spot.

Richard Solomon

 

 

 

 

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