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TALES OF AKARANA

GIVE NOTHING AWAY….NOT EVEN GERBER!

One up for Gerber this week. Firstly, though, some thoughts on opening leads to games. Do you attack or go defensive?

No-one should answer that question without asking one in return. “What do I hold?”

A fair question!

Board 3. Spade-small 7  Heart-small 97432     Diamond-smallK743  Club-small T76 after the opposition bid uninterrupted

                                North                    South

                                                                1NT (12-14)

                                2Heart-small (transfer)          2Spade-small

                                3Club-small                          4Spade-small

                                Pass

Board 16Spade-smallK62    Heart-small Q43   Diamond-small KT9   Club-small KJT7 and again no interruption from your side:

                                West                     East

                                Pass                       1NT (15-17)

                                2Heart-small (transfer)         2Spade-small

                                3Diamond-small                         4Spade-small

                                Pass

Two pretty similar sequences. Two very different hands from which to lead. Two poor results from the leads chosen.

The actual sequence to Board 3 was more complex but the information available to me, West, was similar. Since we have so little and they have stopped in game, our partner has to have values. My philosophy is to go with what little I have and try and get or set up our tricks quickly. Out came a low diamond.

Board 3
South Deals
E-W Vul
A J 6 5 2
8 6
10 8
A K 8 3
7
9 7 4 3 2
K 7 4 3
10 7 6
 
N
W   E
S
 
K 10 4
A K 10
J 5 2
J 9 5 2
 
Q 9 8 3
Q J 5
A Q 9 6
Q 4
West North East South
      1 NT
Pass 2  Pass 2 
Pass 3  Pass 4 
All pass      

 

It was all over at trick one. The Diamond-smallQ won. The spade finesse lost and East cashed two high hearts but the rest belonged to the declarer. A heart lead (surely better than a club if one goes passive) followed by an immediate diamond switch is what the defence require. However, switch the Heart-smallK and Heart-smallQ  and Diamond-smallQ and Diamond-smallJ between the East and South hands and it has to be a diamond lead at trick one to beat the contract. (same number of hcp in each hand).

Apologetic but unrepentant as the opposition claimed 10 tricks and 10 imps. Interestingly, 4Spade-small made four times and went down four times. Don’t we love opening leads! I have made some fairly negative opening leads myself in recent months and have had some success with them but unless declarer is very strong and balanced, I am not sure of the long-term gain.

What, though, when one’s partner will have very little because we have an opening hand and they are in game? The textbook says “do not open up suits” but the passive trump lead on Board 16 had an interesting effect on the subsequent defence:

Board 16
West Deals
E-W Vul
10 4
K 8 7 2
8 6 4
Q 5 4 3
Q J 7 5 3
A 9
J 5 3 2
9 6
 
N
W   E
S
 
A 9 8
J 10 6 5
A Q 7
A 8 2
 
K 6 2
Q 4 3
K 10 9
K J 10 7
West North East South
Pass Pass 1 NT Pass
2  Pass 2  Pass
3  Pass 4  All pass

 

Any suit opening from South could have been right or wrong. Indeed, on the actually deal, while an initial club lead is most definitely best for the defence, no side-suit lead is in any way terminal. However, I can sympathise with South’s low spade lead. Spade-smallQ took the first trick and Spade-smallA the second.

All was fine so far. At trick 3, declarer played a heart to the 9 and North’s king. North continued the passive defence by returning a heart to dummy. Next came a losing diamond finesse with South cashing the Spade-smallK…but the defence was over. Declarer won the diamond return in hand, played the Heart-small10 flushing out the queen, effectively allowing West’s losing club to disappear on the established Heart-smallJ.

attack.png  or  pacifism.png

Passive opening leads are fine with such holdings as South’s but at some point, defenders need to take stock of what declarer was trying to do. It was easier for North than South to play a club on the one occasion they were on lead. Opportunity lost and contract made.

“Give nothing away” leads have their place and there are times when one should not “give away” one of the most maligned conventions by experts.

While South could have launched into Gerber after their partner’s 1Diamond-small opening bid, Andrew Michl and Kinga Hajmasi used it to good effect:

North (Andrew)                               South (Kinga)

Spade-small A43                                                    Spade-small 7

Heart-small QJT                                                   Heart-small K42

Diamond-smallAQ7642                                             Diamond-small K5

Club-small J                                                        Club-small AKQ9632

                                The bidding

1Diamond-small                                                          2Club-small

2Diamond-small                                                          2Heart-small (3Club-small would be non-forcing)

3NT                                                         4Club-small

4Spade-small (2 aces)                                            6Club-small

Pass

For South, slam rests primarily on the number of aces their partner held. When Andrew showed two, Kinga bid accordingly. Blackwood (4NT) of any kind works badly when clubs are trumps and partner’s response is 5Diamond-small showing inadequate number of aces. One up here for Gerber, though partnerships need to be clear what impact South’s previous club bid had on the 4Club-small call: i.e. natural or Gerber?

Only three out of eight pairs made it to the small slam (including one in the slightly inferior 6NT). “Give nothing away. Not even Gerber!” (well… not completely!)

Richard Solomon

 

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