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Daily Bridge in New Zealand

is?

Where to next?

Under one third of the North-South pairs bid today’s North/South cards to quite a reasonable slam, many being satisfied to play in 3NT. Let’s see what our Panel would bid at a key moment in the bidding.

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West Deals
Both Vul

 

N

W

 

E

S

   
 

A 7

A 2

6 4

A K 10 9 8 6 2

 

West

North

East

South

Pass

1 ♠

Pass

2 ♣

Pass

2 

Pass

2 

Pass

2 ♠

Pass

?

 

To some degree, this question depends on your system agreements. Let us say 2Club-small is natural, 10+hcp. 2Heart-smallis 4th suit forcing but it is up to you as to whether it is 1-round or game- forcing.

I feel it easier if one plays a 4th Suit Forcing bid as “forcing to game”. It saves the doubts about whether both partners agree on the nature of subsequent bids. This treatment does restrict the use of this convention on marginal game deals but it does avoid having those bidding accidents.

However, it does seem our Panel are clear that the action they all take is 100% forcing:

Stephen Blackstock “3Club-small: Logically this should be 100% forcing: with invitational values but lacking spade support I would bid 2Club-small then 3Club-small, or 2Club-small then 2NT. There is no need to go through 2Heart-small with an invitational hand. I can’t be looking for a 4-4 heart fit as with 5440 shape North’s rebid is 2Heart-small, not 2Diamond-small.”

Michael Ware “3Club-small: This is game forcing. Just because 2Heart-small is a one round force, doesn't make this non-forcing. Bidding 3Club-small over 2Diamond-small is non-forcing.”

Nigel Kearney “3Club-small: We are still looking for the best denomination. Fourth suit followed by repeating your own suit is forcing, regardless of whether 2Heart-small forced us to game or not. If I had an invitational hand with clubs, I would have bid 3Club-small last time.”

So, no matter how you play 4th suit Forcing, it would seem the rebid of responder’s suit is game forcing for the reasons given above. Our next four panellists go for “game forcing” thus making their next bid straightforward:

Kris Wooles “3Club-small: playing 4th suit as GF and developing my hand slowly and naturally.”

Bruce Anderson “3Club-small: as far as I am concerned bidding fourth suit creates a game force, unless for some strange reason there is a partnership agreement to the contrary.

North’s next bid will determine whether we settle for game or try for greater things. Partner would have supported my suit with three clubs, and did not bid NT’s after I bid fourth suit, meaning they have little or no strength in hearts. But he/she could hold Club-smallQx; if so that support should be shown over 3Club-small, and then a slam is a real possibility.”

Andy Braithwaite “3Club-small: showing a good but not solid suit after a gf 2Heart-small bid.

(4Club-small would be an unconditional suit set).”

 

Pam Livingston "3Club-small:Fourth suit is forcing to game.  Gives us plenty of room to explore our possible slam.  I have great suit contract cards so am not confessing to a heart stop yet."

 

However, one Panellist is less confident about bidding 3Club-small unless we are in a game-force:

Peter Newell “3Club-small: It does rather depend on whether 2Heart-small is game forcing or not.  If 2Heart-small is game forcing then for me it is clear to bid 3Club-small. I have a great suit, useful hand, and it is not clear whether we belong in spades, NT or clubs.

 So, 3Club-small keeps the bidding low and shows the key feature of my hand, and allows room below 3NT for partner to describe their hand.  Partner may bid 3NT with a heart stop which I’ll pass or rebid spades in which case spades looks best or raise clubs. If partner rebids 3Diamond-small, I’ll bid 3Spade-small. “

For most therefore, 3Club-small is game-forcing even if 2Heart-small was not. However, there was also some discussion about what our partner has shown by bidding 2Spade-small.

Stephen Blackstock “An issue I will need to address later in the auction is the meaning of North’s 2Spade-small bid. What is this partnership’s “default” action over 2Heart-small with a mundane hand, i.e., does 2Spade-small show extra length (6+ cards) or does it simply say “nothing more to add at this stage” and thus could be say 5242, 5341 or similar? It is a shame your footnote did not address this as it could be critical to the final contract. An alternative default response for North is 2NT, giving more meaning to a 2Spade-small bid – there are of course downsides to whichever way you choose to play.”

I would think 2Spade-small would be the default action if partner had nothing extra to say over 2Heart-small. One main purpose of 4th suit forcing is to find a hold in the 4th suit for no-trumps and therefore bidding no-trumps without a hold does not seem wise.

The point about 2Spade-small not promising a 6-card suit is also made by Michael Ware whose prediction for a non-unanimous Panel is unfounded:

Michael Ware “Only thing I can think of for a non-unanimous panel is if 2Spade-small promised six spades, and somebody bid 3Spade-small. Dreadful. 6Club-small is still likely to play better than 6Spade-small - at this stage.

Indeed, it did play better, Michael. No 3Spade-small bidders and just wait as the actual hand unfolds. Firstly, though, some advice if you think 3Club-small is passable:

Peter Newell “If 2Heart-small is not a game force and 3Club-small is not forcing (if 3Club-small is forcing I would always bid it), then it is rather a guess. When in doubt bid 3NT, 4Spade-small a close second choice. (Hopefully, Michael Ware did not read that line!). However, partner could easily have 5 good spades on this auction and 9 tricks may well be easier but it is really a guess and I don’t see any other bid that is going to help much.”

which really points to the fact that 3Club-small should be game forcing even if 2Heart-small was not.  

Well, partner had it all, a 6th spade, secondary club support and quite a decent hand. It would seem they had enough to raise 3Club-small a level…and then small slam should be reached quite quickly even with the Club-smallQ missing.

West Deals
Both Vul

K J 9 5 4 3

K

A J 10 7

J 4

10 6 2

J 10 4

K Q 3 2

Q 7 5

 

N

W

 

E

S

 

Q 8

Q 9 8 7 6 5 3

9 8 5

3

 

A 7

A 2

6 4

A K 10 9 8 6 2

 

West

North

East

South

Pass

1 ♠

Pass

2 ♣

Pass

2 

Pass

2 

Pass

2 ♠

Pass

3 ♣

Pass

4 ♣

Pass

4 

Pass

4 

Pass

4 ♠

Pass

5 ♣

Pass

6 ♣

All pass

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4Diamond-small is Minorwood (an efficient use of the next step up once a fit has been established) with 4Heart-small showing 1 or 4 Key Cards. 4Spade-small asked for the trump queen with South bidding the small slam despite this card being denied.

6Club-small is certainly the best of the available slams, almost cold on a non-diamond lead and even a reasonable spot when the Diamond-smallK is/ was led. Declarer can play 2 rounds of trumps and when the news was bad, as above, turn to spades.

As is often the case, it is wrong to take the spade finesse. As long as West has 3 spades, they cannot ruff the third round and when they do ruff the fourth round, there is no diamond trick left for the defence. On the actual deal, the fall of the Spade-smallQ showed another good reason not to finesse.

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Meanwhile, it is even money in 6Spade-small whether you finesse for the Spade-smallQ or go for the drop. In 6NT after a high diamond lead, you can play AK of one black suit and if the news is bad, decide how you will play the other. (Note that if you start successfully with Club-smallAK, you can run the clubs but still need 3 spade tricks. If West has Spade-smallQxx and Diamond-smallKQ, they will be squeezed.) Hopefully, you played successfully…as those who found their way to slam deserved a little good fortune. However, for reasons stated, 6Club-small is best.

Richard Solomon

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