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A Minor Monster!  For less experienced players … and others.

What do you do when you have 12 cards in two minor suits and your partner opens the bidding with one of them? Sounds highly promising but there is a “but” or I thought there was. Take a look.

 

Your system is strong no-trump based where 1is always 4+ and a 1NT opening is 15-17. The game is Pairs. Where to from here?

With a high expectation that your partner’s 4+ cards in diamonds includes your only missing honour in that suit, how high you go would seem to depend on whether your partner holds the A and K (or maybe club singleton).

Our Panel takes mainly a slow measured approach to find out:

Peter Newell “2: partner’s club holding, A, and diamond length/strength to a degree are the key things in assessing how high we belong. So, first let’s start with my long suit, keep the bidding low.  The downside with 2 is being able to easily set diamonds as trumps later in the auction.

The only other bid I would consider is 2NT (and would choose this if this shows a game forcing diamond range, particularly if we show shortages in response).  If partner has a singleton club and can show this, we are well placed – e.g. after 3 can bid 3 and see if partner cues 3.”

For most, 2NT is not an option. Indeed, unless you play 2 as a forcing “inverted” diamond raise, you seem to have to bid 2. Our next Panellist has less worries than Peter:

Stephen Blackstock “2: And subsequently jump in diamonds to set trumps and commence cue bidding. 4 exclusion Blackwood is an option, but if partner lacks the A, I then have to guess about the second- round club control needed for 6, as we will be out of room to enquire. 2 should also get information about South’s hand type, which may be useful. Definitely not 3, as if I get raised, it will be difficult to set diamonds as trumps unequivocally. Note that the Q will never be an issue. If North has opened on xxxx, he is unlikely to do so ever again! 

And also considering spade jumps is:

Kris Wooles “2:  I guess I can bid 2 and then support diamonds at a low enough level to cue bid away reasonably happily. My first instinct was to bid 3 which at one level is descriptive (well to a degree) but takes away a lot of space and I may not be able to avoid 6 missing A and partner having a couple of small clubs.

Now, there’s pessimism.

Nigel Kearney “We can never describe this hand and are better off trying to extract information from partner. I could bid 2 but would prefer a forcing diamond raise, however we do that: 2, 2NT or something else.”

Not a word yet about one of the things that bothers me about the low-level information gathering 2 or inverted minor 2, the opposition. With many more cards in the majors than the minors, they are not banned from bidding and may surely do so not always to our advantage. So, I have a little more sympathy with:

 

Bruce Anderson “3: a splinter agreeing diamonds, which also pre-empts opponents who must have a big major suit fit.

I would like to hear partner’s rebid by bidding 2 but that will make it easy for East to shows both majors.  

 I will not stand partner’s double if East intervenes with 4 of a major given my extreme shape, but instead bid 5, and then 5 over 5 to show the spade void if given the chance to do so.

 

Bidding in this way must show very strong diamonds as I am forcing to at least a small slam. Partner should be able to work out my side suit is clubs, as with diamonds and hearts I would not risk missing a heart fit. If partner has A and a singleton club, or Kx , the grand slam might be bid.

 

Now, that’s more optimistic as indeed is:

 

Michael Cornell “2 inverted: and my next bid hopefully will be 4 exclusion key-card. (There may be interference of course which could thwart this plan.)

If I do get the A (preferably with the Q), I will try for grand hoping to get 5 from partner. I wish myself luck!"

 

I presume Michael means 6 because there will be little room for 5 after the jump to 4.

 

That does seem to be a good plan. The board is a good example for both inverted minors and exclusion key card though you cannot bid the second without agreeing diamonds as trumps first....or so I thought:

Pam Livingston "4: Exclusion blackwood.  If partner responds with one key card (A)  I am going to ask for Q and then K with my eye on a grand.  If partner has no key cards, I'm going to bid 6 whilst being worried about a loser in clubs.  

 

If 4 was natural to play, then I would start with 3 (splinter).

 

There is another approach, far less scientific, but maybe practically more successful if there was to be interference, the direct jump to 6. West’s lead may well be more beneficial to declarer (e.g. A) though on this day, 6 was just the right level.

 

 

East may well double the inverted 2 which will prompt South to bid 2NT (12-14). 4 (Exclusion key card) will get the one key-card response but there will be no K or Q in the South hand.

 

A nervy 6 there to be made and a polite warning if you are Stephen Blackstock’s partner not to open 1 again with that hand. Playing 5-card majors, what is the alternative playing a strong 1NT and 5 card majors…perhaps a short 1?

Fast arrival?

 

South has all 14 high card points in the majors and yet the slam is still reasonable. Without inverted minors, it might be hard to see if your partner has the right holdings in hearts, clubs and of course diamonds, especially with some unfriendly major intervention. Perhaps my 2-bid auction to 6 has a little more merit than one might think.

 

Back to reality.

 

There’s nothing more real than playing in 2 of a major looking for an overtrick or two. So, what’s your plan here?

 

You are playing Pairs.

 

 

2 showed spades with West leading 10. You may as well cover as did East with the Q and your A won the trick. What now?

Richard Solomon

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