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Awkward Choices (Part 2).

Damage Control.

Yesterday we survived. We made a bid most of the Panel would not have made and then was left with an ugly choice next time round. Would we be so lucky, or so intelligent (let’s face it, our second bid was good!), with another difficult situation involving a re-opening double?

 

 

If the game was Pairs, you might be prepared to pass this one out hoping your partner really has a decent hand, or decent enough hand for +200. Yet, it’s Teams and you now want to run, but where?

Have you got understanding teammates? Does your partner have a strong hand? These are two questions you might be asking as partner’s double is passed around to you? You know the answer to the first question is positive but for many, one’s style is for our partner to balance with a double with most hands that contain a heart shortage, even with a minimum opener, so that one can penalise the opponents if one chooses to do so.

You do not choose this option! So, what’s the best escape?

Stephen Blackstock “2:  Unpleasant, but spades is the only suit in which we are known to have more trumps than NS. Those who choose to bid diamonds may wish to consider whether West might have doubled with 4225. Again, we should be playing Lebensohl, not that I think 2NT is a good idea whether it is natural or artificial.

Nigel Kearney “2: There are several differences from the first hand (discussed yesterday). Here, my choice is more likely to end the auction. There is no obvious better spot, and we can (eventually) stop a forcing defence.”

Kris Wooles “2:  hoping the Q will be some insurance against a force.”

Are the above statements true? Do we hold more spades than our opponents? Most of the time we do but we are very keen (sometimes) for our partner to re-open with a double without the classic re-opening shape?

Maybe 2 will end the auction, mostly. Is that desirable? Wait on.

Others look towards the minors:

Peter Newell “2NT: pick a minor – at Pairs, I would pass certainly a weak jump as partner would be sitting over dummy’s strength…here I don’t like pass much at Teams, and 2 looks a bit ugly with partner’s 4 card suit taking heart forces whenever the defence wanted…."

Matt Brown “2NT: Scrambling - obviously 2 could work best if partner has 4 of them but that is no guarantee. Partner will strain a fair bit to double with off-shape hands (4126/4216/3226?) so I think best to just let him pick.”

I hope he picks well, like diamonds! Others have “first pick”

Bruce Anderson “3: the double from partner is almost mandatory here and so does not promise a very strong hand. Therefore, pass is not an option. Hopefully, we have a diamond fit; if so, the hand is likely to play well given that the missing strength in spades and clubs should be held by North.”

It will not play quite so well opposite one of Matt Brown’s example hands above!

Michael Cornell “3: Partner has a decent hand and has made a takeout double.  So, I take it out to my best suit. I do not want to bid 2, even with 3 good spades (unless I know partner will pass!) as the wrong hand will be tapped- probably ok at the 2 level but I would not want to be any higher on a 4-3 here.”

So, it does not look like there is a perfect answer with all three options flawed. On this day, bidding what you had worked out better than trusting partner had spades or offering them a choice of minor suits.

 

 The main issue here was to avoid a double, as well as remembering not to defend 2x. At the table, I chose 2 which satisfied everyone, especially North! I managed one heart ruff before the defence decided that drawing trumps was a good idea and finished 3 down. The re-opening double was very reasonable though showed the difficulties which it can present when four cards in the unbid major are not held. The price we pay for the 500s and 1100s we have recorded when our hearts were stronger and longer?

2x would have made relatively easily but 3 would have been as uncomfortable as 2 was.

Meanwhile, the cross-ruff works well for the declarer in 3 which should be no worse than one down. Not just that is the fact that bidding what we have leaves us well placed for the post-mortem, even better when North competes to 3 and records a minus score!

Dangerous Territory

 

A nice-looking 18-count and partner shows 10+ by changing the suit at the 2-level. Your 2NT shows 18-19 (playing a weak no-trump opening) and after partner signs off, you cannot resist pushing one higher, just in case there is a slam to be made. “No thanks” says North and you receive 10 lead to 4NT.

This goes round to your jack as East plays 6. You play a diamond to the jack, which wins the trick (East-West play 6 and 2). What next? You are playing Pairs.

Richard Solomon

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