Our website is www.pattayabridge.com                           Club News Sheet – No. 381

Our blogsite is www.pattayabridge.wordpress.com                                 

My home phone is 038 422924 and my mobile number is 083 6066880              28th Feb 2010

It is best to use my home number to contact me unless I am at the bridge club.

My e-mail is terry@pattayabridge.com or pattayabridge@yahoo.com

My MSN messenger ID is tj_quested@hotmail.com

Mon 22nd           1st  Hans V & Royd             59%       2nd    Janne & Paul Q                      59%

Wed 24th N-S    1st  Bob P & Nick                54%       2nd    Les & Flora                            54%

                E-W   1st  Ole Dam & Royd           60%       2nd    Hans & Janne                         58%          

Fri  26th    N-S   1st  Jean-Charles & Terry     59%       2nd    Paul Bis.. & Royd                   58%

                E-W   1st  Janne & Lars B              60%       2nd    Duplessy & Coutlet                54%

       
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Bidding Quiz                    Standard American bidding is assumed unless otherwise stated.

 

Hand A           Hand B           What do open with Hand A?

 

AK4             Q4

J6                 A543            With Hand B LHO opens 1 and partner doubles,

AK94           752               what do you bid?

K1063         KQ104

 

Bidding Sequence Quiz

 

E      2      pass   2NT                 What is 2NT? Ogust, natural or feature asking?      

 

     
Ron Klinger web site
     
 

 

Inputs

 

Many thanks to Paul and Dave who supplied the material for this week’s news-sheet. Inputs from any member are always appreciated, especially now as I am very busy for the next month or so.           

 

 

Current club championship standings

 

 

Gold Cup = Best 30

Silver Plate = Best 10

Bronze Medal = Best 5

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

 

630.9 Hans Vikman

623.4 Janne Roos

615.2 Paul Quodomine

600.2 Lars Broman

595.4 Duplessy & Coutlet

580.4 Holger Renken

 

321.7 Hans Vikman

320.9 Janne Roos

319.6 Sally Watson

319.5 Paul Quodomine

319.5 Duplessy & Coutlet

312.9 Lars Broman

311.2 Tomas Wikman

300.4 Jean Wissing

298.6 Holger Renken

296.0 Gun Karlsson

 

                                                                       


Paul’s Column

 

Monday, Feb. 15 there were 3 boards I found interesting and instructive.

 

If a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, a LOT of knowledge can be a CATASTROPHE!

 

It isn’t fair for me to be critical of anyone else’s bids or plays unless I tell this tale about myself.  On board 16, NV vs Vul, I was North.  A routine auction led to me declaring 3NT.

 

North

AKQ6

109

AKJ109

Q3

 

West                                        East

                                    542                                        987

                                    76                                          QJ85

                                    76543                                    Q2

                                    AK2                                      J987

 

South

J103

AK432

8

10654

 

The defense began with 3 rounds of clubs and East continued with a 4th club, North pitching 2 diamonds and on the 4th club West pitching a discouraging heart.  4 rounds of spades followed with both West and East parting with a diamond.  Then the A, K of hearts putting the lead in dummy with these cards remaining:

 

                                                          North

                                                           AKJ

                                    West                                                    East

                                    765                                                    QJ

                                                                                                Q

South

43

8

 

With a complete count on the opposing distribution it was now easy to work out that West had 3 diamonds left and East had only 1.  A 75% probability that the finesse was working, and this is matchpoints after all, so a diamond to the J.  THE ROOF FELL IN!  -100 when everyone else made +430!!

 


If you double an artificial bid for the lead you had better be sure you can beat that contract.

 

On board 29, with both vulnerable, the layout was this:

 

North

J963

AQ53

Q10

752

 

West                                            East

Q102                                        875

K1097                                      842

J8653                                        72

8                                               AQJ94

 

South(A)

AK4

J6

AK94

K1063

 

What did you open with this South hand A in this week’s quiz? This South evaluated his balanced 18 hcp with 7 in a 3-card suit and 1 in a doubleton as worth only 17, correctly in my opinion.  He opened 1NT, West passed, and North bid 2C, Stayman.  East saw a chance to get his side off to a good lead and doubled.  South was about to bid 2D, but then thought better of it.  He REDOUBLED showing 4 or 5 good clubs and, usually, a maximum opener.  West turned 3 different shades of green before passing, and North happily passed holding 3 clubs and some useful cards.  The usual  contract of 3NT scored +630 or +600 at all the other tables.  2C** also took 10 tricks, but for +1560!  At IMPs I’d hate to bring a result like that to my teammates!

 

About the Ogust convention

 

Terry was quite mistaken in his claim in news-sheet 380 about Ogust not being popular in America.  Have you actually ever PLAYED there??

 

Terry Answer. No – but I have only met two Americans at the club who played Ogust. Also, if you look at the definition of the 2NT response to a weak two on the pre-printed ACBL SAYC convention cards it clearly says  “2NT – if maximum requests a feature”.

Also, the recent book ‘Standard bidding with SAYC’ by Downey and Pomar, says on page 86 – “There are several systems that utilize this 2NT forcing response. In the most common version – and the one that is standard to SAYC – 2NT asks partner for a feature. A feature is defined as an outside ace or a protected king or queen”.

I believe that Paul means that Ogust is popular with the more experienced players in America.

 

                                                     


Making a flawed take out double can be dangerous

 

Board 13 was as follows, all vulnerable:

North

6

AK8765

J63

876

West                                                    East

                                    J108753                                            KQ42

                                    VOID                                                J1094

                                    Q954                                                 K108

                                    1042                                                 K9

South

A9

Q32

A72

AQJ53

 

After North opened 2H East inquired what that was.  Upon being informed it was a normal “weak” 2 opening he decided to make a take-out double.  Let’s look at the flaws: A) heart length in a hand far too weak to bid NT next, B) under-strength with an ace-less balanced 12 count to act directly on the 2 level vulnerable, and C) it pinpoints the defender’s high cards should the opposing side declare.  If his side owned the contract his partner should be able to act.  What was he intending to do over a 3C response by his partner??  The auction proceeded REDOUBLE by South, 3S by West, P, P, FIVE hearts by South.  What is 5 hearts?  Some play it as asking for second round control of the opponents suit to bid 6, some play it as asking for trump quality to bid 6 … but whatever it was North had it!

East naturally failed to find the killing diamond lead and N/S scored up +1430, the only pair to bid slam.  South had correctly assumed the club king would be well placed (See News Sheet 366 “Card Placement by Assumption”) and with his good trump support and a side suit source of tricks as well as first round controls in S and D he issued the slam invitation.  Most Souths either bid 4H directly or went through an asking call of 2NT first.

 

< End of Paul’s Column >

 

Dave’s Column           Here is Dave’s first input on the play of the hand.

 

West                East                                  West            North         East          South

Q4                K875                            -                   1             dbl           pass

A543            QJ96                            2                pass           4            all pass

752               A4                              

KQ104        AJ2                               

 

You are West, declarer in 4, and North leads the K. You win in dummy with the A and South encourages. How do you play the trump suit?


Dave’s Column answer                      Board 5 from Wednesday 24th   

     

Dealer:             A93                                            Book Bidding

North               K7                                              West(B)     North         East            South

N-S vul            KQJ986                                     -                 1              dbl             pass

                        86                                              2    (1)      pass           4              all pass

                 

Q4                      N             K875              (1)  What did you bid with this West hand B in

A543              W    E          QJ96                    this week’s quiz? 1 is wrong as the hand is

752                     S              A4                       too good and this 2 bid is correct.

KQ104                              AJ2                      1 would show around 0-7 HCP’s and this

                        J1062                                        jump to 2 shows about 8-11.

1082                                          

103                                             .

9753                                   

                                           

So you are West declaring 4 and North leads the K. You win in dummy with the A and South encourages. How should you continue?

There will be almost certainly one trump loser and the contract will depend upon avoiding a second one. The correct play is a low trump to the A and a low towards dummy. On the auction, North rates to hold the K, and there is no advantage in running the Q, which would lose not only to a singleton K but also to the actual unexceptional layout. North would take the Q with the K and lead two more ’s. It would not matter if declarer ruffed with the J or a lower card – South would always score a second trump trick.

By playing A and another declarer avoids a rather ignominious defeat. By preserving the QJ in dummy, declarer can ruff the third and draw South’s 10 with dummy’s remaining trump honour.

 

And what happened at the Pattaya bridge club? 4= four times, 2+3, 2+2, 2+2 and 3NT-3.

 

 

Dave’s 2nd Column         Here is Dave’s second problem on the play of the hand.

 

North               South                               West            North         East          South

KQJ87         92                                 -                   -                 1            2

64                 K83                              pass             2              pass         3NT

J1062            AQ                              all pass

K10             AQJ972    

 

You are South and arrive in a very good 3NT after East opens the biding in first seat. West leads a and East plays the Q. East must have the A so you could duck but there’s nothing to gain by doing so, and so you take the trick with the K. It looks as though you need the finesse through the opening bidder for your 9th trick. Is that so?

                                               

                                               

                                         

                                                                 
Dave’s 2nd Column answer
              Board 6 from Wednesday 24th

 

Dealer:             KQJ87                                       Book Bidding

East                  64                                               West          North         East            South

E-W vul           J1062                                         -                 -                 1              2

                        K10                                           pass           2              pass           3NT

all pass

10653                 N             A4                       

952                 W    E          AQJ107              

K                        S              987543          

86543                                -                    

92                                        

K83                          The remarkable thing about this deal is that if the K is

AQ                           onside, you don’t need to go to dummy to take the finesse

AQJ972                   – it will take care of itself.               

 

East is marked with the A, which he must hold, and he must keep four winners, else declarer can concede a . So run your six ’s and see what happens. On this layout East, who has no ’s at all, discards a and … five ’s. His last six cards must be the A, four winners and one . If it’s the K it will fall under the A. If it’s not the K then it must be singleton in West’s hand.

Although you could not envisage East’s distribution as 2560 to bring about this spectacular ending, it should have been possible to appreciate that taking the finesse early could not gain and could only lose. The hand was originally played in this way by France’s Venice cup and World Mixed teams champ, Catherine d’Ovidio, in a major French tournament.

 

And what happened at the Pattaya bridge club? Not surprisingly, nobody ended up in ’s. 4-3, 4-2 twice, 3NT-1 three times, 3+2 and 3NT=.

 

Bidding Quiz Answers

 

Hand A:    1NT – or 1/? 1NT is the opening bid made by Janne and agreed with by Paul Quodomine in his column. I (Terry) am not convinced by Paul’s explanation as to why the hand should be de-valued to 17. I have often stated that AK doubleton is a ‘poor’ 7 points but in my opinion that does not apply to AKx which is a good 7 points. Also, I like both of the 4-card suits and the 10 is significant in a 4-card suit. I disagree with our two experts here and suggest 1 or 1, according to style, with a 2NT rebid if partner responds 1. In my opinion this hand is too good for a 1NT opening – and I am usually the first to agree with hand evaluation when necessary and will open 1NT with a good 14 or a poor 18; I do not consider this a poor 18 and the excellent result obtained is no excuse for the opening under-bid.

Hand B:    2, showing around 8-11 points. 1 is wrong as it shows only about 0-7 points.

 

Bidding Sequence Quiz Answer

 

C     2      pass     2NT           This 2NT response to a weak two is generally played as forcing and the meaning is up to partnership agreement. Ogust and feature ask are popular treatments.   

       
       

 Ron Klinger web site