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Daily Bridge in New Zealand

Could Be Worse.

That’s one way to describe our partner’s bidding on today’s deal. We have got two nice suits of our own and unusually, the suit in which our partner has plenty, is not our shortest. We have a fit! Onwards, for sure, but how far upwards?

Bridge in NZ.pngnz map.jpg

 
K Q J 10 5
K J
J
A J 9 7 3
West North East South
  1  Pass 2 
Pass 3  Pass 3 
Pass ?    

 

Pairs All Vul.

A promising couple of bids from partner… but how promising? How aggressive do you want to be?

Short and sweet and not accurate in his prediction is:

Michael Ware “4Heart-small: unanimous surely.”

Michael’s answer is a statement not a question! He should know you only need to ask two bridge players the same question to get four different answers! We have three different answers today though Michael does have some support:

Pam Livingston “4Heart-small: 3Heart-small shows 6 and I am bidding game in the known fit.  With a better hand, I would bid 4Diamond-small to show a great raise.

I agree re the lack of aces but your Heart-smallKJ are surely very valuable. For me, 4Heart-small sounds more like a small doubleton heart.

Kris Wooles “4Heart-small: assuming I have shown an above average hand with spades and clubs and secondary heart support. Partner can bid again if he/she does then I like my hand."

 

Bruce Anderson “4Heart-small: It is tempting to take control via Roman Key Card as partner is very likely to have a 6-card suit headed by AQ, and I hold such a strong spade suit. But what if partner holds a hand like Spade-smallxx Heart-smallAQ10xxx Diamond-smallAxx Club-smallxx; the response will be 5Spade-small playing 1430 and the slam will have no play on a club lead.

After my showing heart support partner and a strong hand, partner should move over 4Heart-small with a hand that includes two aces and the Club-smallK; either using RKC or cue bidding 5Club-small. To the latter bid, I can cue bid 5Diamond-small and the slam reached opposite say; Spade-smallAx Heart-smallAQ10xxx Diamond-smallxxxx Club-smallKx.”

 

Certainly, 4Heart-small need not end the auction. However, others have more ambition.

 

Andy Braithwaite “4NT: key card- partner must have a good hand to bid 3Heart-small rather than 4Heart-small over a game forcing 3Club-small.”

4Heart-small would probably be a weaker (10/11 hcp) hand with 7 or maybe 6 good hearts. 3Heart-small is not necessarily stronger as we know our partner’s heart suit is not solid. Agreeing and with my feelings about 4Heart-small is:

Nigel Kearney “4Diamond-small: Cue bid agreeing hearts. I want to do something more encouraging than just bidding 4Heart-small which I might do with a small doubleton or even a singleton. I'm assuming this is Acol where partner could have as little asSpade-smallxx Heart-smallAQxxxx Diamond-smallKxx Club-smallxx.”

Stephen Blackstock “4Diamond-small: Slam interest in hearts. South should have a good suit in this sequence, say AQ109xx would be typical, so KJ is good support. A raise to 4Heart-small would be inadequate. Of course, a seven-card suit might be less solid, so ironically more trumps may mean more excitement!

Key card isn’t good enough here, the placement of South’s outside values is critical. Spade-smallAx Heart-smallAQ109xxDiamond-smallxxx Club-smallxx is virtually a laydown slam, Spade-smallxx,Heart-smallAQ109xx,Diamond-smallAxx,Club-smallxx needs a misdefence. A singleton spade ace opposite complicates communications too, and only South can know whether that problem exists. Tell South that North is interested, and see what he can offer. “

 

Peter Newell “4Diamond-small: I am a bit torn between this and the more aggressive 4NT. What does 3Heart-small show, a better hand than 4Heart-small but may not have good enough hearts for 4Heart-small, and there may be uncertainty about strain (and better hearts than a 3Diamond-small bid would show) – still quite a few different types of hands.

 I have quite a good hand for hearts, excellent heart support, useful shape, and a spade suit that should provide pitches for diamonds and possibly club(s).  Leaving aside the club suit for now, I really want to know how many key cards partner has and whether they have the Heart-smallQ.  However, it is likely that the opposition will lead a diamond or a club. A club lead could easily be fatal if partner has 2 or 3 small clubs and no Spade-smallA and good hearts – bidding 4Diamond-small does tip them off into being more likely to lead a club, than a diamond, but probably increases the chance of a trump lead.

As partner can have quite a range of hand, I’ll start with 4Diamond-small which must be a cue bid. I cannot be introducing a 4th suit at the 4 level.  4NT looks like it is an overbid given partner may not be that strong.”

 

Interestingly, the aggressive bid taken by the Panel is 4Diamond-small. Presumably, they would regard 4Club-small as natural rather than a cue in this auction.

 

At the table, North did try a 4Club-small cue-bid and East either missed their opportunity or hoped partner would find the right lead.

 

 

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

 

Had East doubled 4Club-small, South could pass (slam interest but no second-round club control) and North-South should never reach slam. As it was, South’s response to Key Card (2 with the Heart-smallQ) and the average slam was reached. Average became quite good when West led a diamond and it was East who held the Spade-smallA.

 

East exited a second spade with declarer able to play three rounds of trumps, overtaking and discarding three minor losers on the long spades.

success 4.jpg

 

Had East returned a diamond, declarer has to ruff in dummy, play their other high heart and then play two rounds of spades, ruffing/ over-ruffing depending on whether East ruffs. Declarer now only needs two discards and the slam will still be made.

 

Some interesting questions thrown up around the bidding. The only fact that is certain is that there was no “unanimous Panel”.

 

“Great Dummy: Thanks, Partner”

 

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

 

“Shame about my own hand!”

 

That might be what South said and thought when faced with the challenge of making 4Spade-small here. West started with three rounds of hearts (Heart-smallAK then small heart, East showing an even number of hearts.) You ruff the third round. What next on Jan’s Day?

 

Richard Solomon

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