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Daily Bridge in New Zealand

Which Level? Which Suit?

I do hate two-part episodes on television. The second part is always on a bridge night! (please do not tell me I could record it. You could!) However, I know you will be doing nothing special on Saturday morning. So, here is part one!

Our two problem hands came from the same Teams match and featured different problems. In one case, should we bid “grand”..or even bid at all?!. In the other, which 7 level contract should we bid?

Bridge in NZ.pngnz map.jpg

 
A K Q 8 4
9 8 7 6 4
10 9 2
West North East South
      1 
2  Dbl 5  5 
Pass ?    

 

This was the sequence to which one North was confronted. On a bad day, there might be two heart losers and a diamond loser. On a good one, there might be 13 top tricks. Which kind of day was this one?

Before we reached the decision of what to bid next, I asked the Panel whether they approved of North’s take-out double. In descending order from the most critical of the double:

Michael Cornell “Absolutely not- would bid 2Spade-small in my sleep. However, I am better placed now!”

Kris Wooles “I would have bid 2Spade-small. I like to describe the hand as efficiently as possible and while I do have 2 suits, the quality of the spade suit is too compelling for me to disguise with a double.”

Nigel Kearney: “I prefer 2Spade-small instead of double. If they are going to jump to 4Club-small or 5Club-small and it's passed back to me, 2Spade-small seems a better description than double and then presumably double again.” 

Nick Jacob: “Don't hate double but slightly prefer 2Spade-small. If the auction gets competitive, it can help to start getting our relative suit lengths across.”

Matt Brown also preferred 2Spade-small while only new Christchurch panellist, Bruce Anderson, had much sympathy for double. Welcome, Bruce:

Bruce Anderson " I agree with double as 2Spade-small over 2Club-small shows more high-card strength. That said, 2Spade-small can be defended given the strength of the suit.

It did get very competitive very quickly.  Our partner would not normally head for 5Spade-small without 4 card support even if we had bid 2Spade-small. Certainly, you are much happier to have announced 5 spades than a possible liking for hearts. Imagine if the two major suits had been reversed. That is an even harder problem though we can leave that for another day. On this one, the “oppos” bid up to the 5 level quickly but partner was not silenced.

The irony of the above answers is that, suddenly, you are better placed from an original take-out double than from the recommended 2Spade-small call. Look at this answer:

optimistic.jpg 

Kris Wooles: “5Spade-small: cue implying club control as well and suggesting grand slam interest. So, if partner has solid diamonds and Heart-smallA, then 7 should be pretty good. Obviously, I’m banking on partner having at least the Heart-smallA or K which is not a given of course but highly likely.”

I bet you are glad you made a negative double now, Kris. Here’s another:

Matt Brown “5Spade-small: Having doubled originally, now I would bid 5Spade-small. 6Diamond-small could be down but give partner the Heart-smallK/A or singleton and we make 6 or the Heart-smallA and we make 7Diamond-small very easily. 5Spade-small must be in support of Diamond-small and not my own suit because I didn't bid spades earlier.

Michael Cornell “6Club-small:  I do not mind risking a heart lead.   7Diamond-small is pretty cold opposite Spade-smallxx Heart-small Ax Diamond-smallAKJxxxx Club-small xx”

Not a bad estimation of the actual hand. A little more cautious were:

Nigel Kearney “6Diamond-small: On the given auction, we could be making 11, 12, or 13 tricks but I would probably just bid six.”

Bruce Anderson “6Diamond-small: I expect at least a strong six card suit and a top honour in hearts; if it only the king, the lead is coming up to his hand.
pessimisic.png

And even more pessimistic, anticipating Heart-smallQJx / even Qxx opposite:

Nick Jacob “Pass: If partner has short clubs also, our hand might not be very helpful. Partner could still have 2-3 heart losers.”

If South had any of Kris Wooles, Matt Brown or Michael Cornell as their partner, we can only hope that holding just what their partner had wanted, they would have 7Diamond-small as their next bid as these were the four hands:

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

 

A great grand to bid if you could. That off-beat 2Club-small overcall paid off at the table with East’s leap to game silencing North. The auction at the other table favoured North rather more:

West              North            East                South

                                                                       1Diamond-small (5+ diamonds)

3Club-small                   x                    4Club-small                  4Diamond-small

Pass                4NT                Pass                5Diamond-small (0 or 3 key cards)

Pass                7Diamond-small                All Pass

 Slightly fortunate that the Club-smallK was not the Club-smallA but a decent enough punt, which the raise only to 4Club-small afforded North. Fortune favoured the brave, as did the spade break!

What does seem apparent is that while the panel were not in favour of the initial negative double, the 5Spade-small cue- bid would not have been available had North started with 2Spade-small. Certainly, North could still bid 6Club-small, a void showing try for grand slam. Solid trumps and the Heart-smallA could only be viewed as great cards…and South would still be entitled to go for grand, albeit with that slightly nervous wait for either opponent to reach for a red card. None would come and 13 tricks would soon be achieved.

Tomorrow, we will look at the other problem you were given yesterday. Just to remind you, here is the hand:

     
West Deals
None Vul
 
N
W   E
S
 
6 5 4 2
7 4 2
A K Q J 9 7
West North East South
2  Pass 3  Pass
3  Pass 4 NT Pass
5  Pass 5  Pass
5  Pass ?  

 2Club-small is an Acol style Game Force, well anyone's game force. Partner bids their suit and you use KeyCard Blackwood. 5Diamond-small shows 1 or 4 with diamonds as trumps. 5Heart-small asks for the Diamond-smallQ, with the response showing that card along with the Spade-smallK though the Heart-smallK is missing. Your turn to choose the final contract.

Tune in, tomorrow. There is no need to record!

Richard Solomon

 

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