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Daily Bridge in New Zealand

 Jan Cormack.

The “Joys” of Pre-emption.

Pre-emptive bids not only describe a particular hand shape very well (that is most people’s pre-empts do!) but they can make the bidding extremely difficult for the opposition: very little room to judge whether they should stop in part-score, settle in game or try for a slam. However, there is occasionally a down-side when the player “fixed” by the pre-empt is the pre-emptor’s partner.

Over then to Jan.

Jan’s Day: Whose Side are you on, partner?

“Pre-emptive bidding at a high level is designed to make life difficult for the opponents by denying them valuable bidding space to find their best spot.

However, there are times when these pre-emptive tactics can backfire by making life difficult for partner! How would you feel holding the following two-suited blockbuster hearing your partner open 3Spade-small first in hand?

Bridge in NZ.pngnz map.jpg

 

     
North Deals
E-W Vul
 
N
W   E
S
   
 
A K J 10 8 7 3
K
A K J 10 2
West North East South
  3  Pass ?

What action would you take? Partner does not really need much to make a small slam in hearts or even clubs. Diamond-smallA or Heart-smallQ or Club-smallQ or just Heart-smallQxx and a singleton/doubleton club. On the other hand, 4Heart-small may be the only making game. For those cowardly souls who opted for 4Heart-small, this was the full deal:

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

 

6Heart-small just cannot be defeated.  Even after the best lead of a trump, declarer plays Diamond-smallK. If the ace is taken and a heart continued, declarer simply wins with Heart-smallQ in dummy, cashes Diamond-smallQJ throwing two clubs and is now obliged to take the winning club finesse for 12 tricks.

fortune favours the brave 2.jpg.png

Then there was the following deal, also from the Australian Open Teams. Second in hand, your partner opens 3D. You hold:

     
West Deals
Both Vul
 
N
W   E
S
   
 
K 9 7
A K Q J 10 7 6
J
Q 10
West North East South
Pass 3  Pass ?

 

What is your choice of bid? Did you bid 4Heart-small? Bad luck!

 

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

 

As you can see, 3NT is the winning bid with 9 tricks unstoppable. The likely lead against 4Heart-small is a club. The defence can take Club-smallAK and then switch to a spade through K97 to score four tricks and defeat 4Heart-small by one trick.”

plain lucky.png

Brave, foolhardy, or just plain lucky. You be the judge!

 

  Aim for making Game.. for less experienced players and others

That’s normally the case when you are in 3NT.

 

West Deals
None Vul
K 10 9 7
A
A Q J 8 4
K Q 3
   
N
W   E
S
   
 
Q J 6
9 7 6 3 2
A 7 6 5 4
West North East South
Pass 1  Pass 1 
Pass 2Spade-small Pass 3 NT
All Pass      
       

 

2Spade-small was natural and game-forcing. South ended the auction quickly! West led Diamond-small6.

Plan the play.

Richard Solomon

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