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Daily Bridge in New Zealand

                     CHOOSING THE TRUMP SUIT, IF INDEED THERE IS ONE!

Part One of our two-part grand slam series featured whether we could bid to grand with any degree of confidence. Part Two features a rare luxury, the knowledge that we are pretty certain we can bid and make a grand- slam. Our dilemma is that whether we should bid the grand in either our suit, partner’s suit or in no-trumps.

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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. After a real rarity (a positive response!), partner bids their suit and you use Key Card Blackwood. 5Diamond-smallshows 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.

There are a few matters to consider. Let’s see if they are addressed by our Panel who are not that supportive of our auction so far.

Michael Cornell “7Diamond-small: but I hate my 4NT bid. I should have bid 4Diamond-small, used key-card after partner’s cue-bid and then after 5Spade-small bid 7Club-small, choice of slams.

That sounds fine in theory but might partner not be the one using Key Card after your 4Diamond-small support bid? How will you know it is right to bid on when partner signs off in 6Diamond-small because the Spade-smallA is missing? Or was it the Heart-smallA? Also, it is hard to believe that your partner will accept 7Club-small as an option with two or three small clubs.

Certainly, though, using Key Card straightaway is not ideal either as you will not know which ace is missing if indeed one is.

I much prefer Nick’s suggestion:

Nick Jacob “7Club-small: Would not have used key-card earlier. Lucky, we didn't get a 5Club-small (0 or 3) response although of course it's quite likely partner does have all 4 key cards. What was wrong with 4Spade-small? (splinter bid, diamond support, spade shortage)

Now I bid 7Club-small. No need to risk partner having a club void. Partner can correct to 7Diamond-small/7NT.”

Hopefully, after partner bids 4NT key-card and then makes a further try confirming that all key-cards are held, you can bid 7Club-small showing a solid trump suit of your own.

Nick also refers to the big danger in choosing 7NT. Matt highlights it, too:

Matt Brown “7Club-small:  We can count theoretically 13 top tricks with 5+diamonds, 6 clubs & 2 aces. 7Club-small caters for partner having a void club.”

Similar comment but different bid from:

Bruce Anderson “7Diamond-small: Even if partner only has five to the AKQ, the slam is good, virtually cold if they hold Diamond-smallJ also and very good if they hold Diamond-small10.

I am not bidding 7NT as there is the (albeit remote) possibility partner is void in clubs.”

That last comment is true but you seemed to have raised a very good point of why you should not bid 7Diamond-smallDiamond-small Jxxx is not that uncommon in an opponent’s hand (especially with 5 missing). It would be a real shame to record -100 when 6 club tricks, 3 top diamonds and at least Spade-smallAK and Heart-smallA adds to 12 with partner surely having a little extra for a 2Club-small opening. You have a great club suit. 7Club-small would show that with 7NT a choice partner can make with one or more club.

Bruce does have support:

Nigel Kearney “7Diamond-small: Opposite Spade-smallAKQx Heart-smallAxx Diamond-smallAKQxx Club-smallx with a club lead, we’d rather be in 7Club-small but it's much more likely partner has six diamonds and a club void. If we had raised diamonds before (or preferably instead of) bidding 4NT, we could now bid 7Club-small and offer a choice but as it is, partner will usually pass 7Club-small even with a void.

Kris Wooles “7Diamond-small: So, partner has three aces, Diamond-smallK and Spade-smallK. While 7NT is tempting, partner may have a void in clubs (for example) and in any event, I can foresee potential problems in unravelling all my tricks (even if Diamond-small7 was an entry). So, I’m bidding 7Diamond-small. 7NT by East with a heart lead through doesn’t look very nice to me.

Another great reason not to bid 7NT..well two more great reasons, actually. If by some chance, you needed the heart finesse for trick 13, you would not relish the prospect of taking it at trick 1. Also, the prospect of having to use the “beer card” midway through the play as an entry to the club suit is utterly horrible for any player of drinking age!

For teetotallers, this winner needs to be played at trick 13 to exact the round of drinks…though I do believe diamonds is not allowed to be trumps for this to be valid?

which way.jpg

So, some deserved criticism for our direct leap to Key Card with, I believe, Nick Jacob’s splinter, the best option. I had hoped that I might have the casting vote to split a tie between 7Club-small and 7Diamond-small though diamonds have it 4-2 (with some honourable mentions of 7Club-small along the way!)

The concept of our partner converting 7Club-small to 7NT seems a very good one to me. So, what was right on the night?

West Deals
None Vul
J 7 4
J 8 3
9 5
8 6 5 4 3
A K Q 6
A 10 7
A K Q 8 6
10
 
N
W   E
S
 
6 5 4 2
7 4 2
A K Q J 9 7
 
10 9 8 5 3 2
K Q 9
J 10 3
2
West North East South
2  Pass 3  Pass
3  Pass 4 NT Pass
5  Pass 5  Pass
5  Pass ?  

 

Everything!

good choice.jpg

Partner even produced the Club-small10, which proved vital for the 7Club-small contract at one table. North must have had a little hope when their long suit became trumps!

7NT was bid and made at the other table. The two important factors were to cater for a void club in the West hand and the missing Diamond-smallJ. Fortunately for those in 7Diamond-small, it was missing but no threat. On the night, 7NT was tops with the Spade-smallQ providing the thirteenth trick should diamonds only produce three.

Now, put yourself in Matt Brown’s shoes. No pressure! Just three teammates hoping that you will make a rather difficult 5Diamond-small contract. You can breathe one sigh of relief that your partner had not put you even higher. Michael (Whibley) realised that you might be under some pressure to bid 4Diamond-small and had just signed off in game. “Thanks, Michael.”

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

 

4Club-small was natural and 5Diamond-small a slam try. West leads Club-small6 and at trick 1 East contributes Club-small9 which looks like a rather middling club expressing no particular preference for either major. How are you going to play to make 11 tricks? Trumps break 2-2.

See you on Mothers’ Day.

Richard Solomon

 

 

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