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Dave's Column |
Here is Dave’s 1st problem this week. |
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| ♠ |
AQ3 |
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Book Bidding |
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| ♥ |
10953 |
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West |
North |
East |
South |
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| ♦ |
10854 |
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- |
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pass |
1NT |
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| ♣ |
A9 |
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pass |
3NT (1) |
all pass |
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♠ |
J108 |
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| ♥ |
A72 |
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(1) |
Of course 90+% of bridge players will bid 2♣ |
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| ♦ |
A973 |
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Stayman here. But this is a play problem. |
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| ♣ |
632 |
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| You are East, defending 3NT. Partner leads the ♣7 and dummy’s ♣9 wins. The ♥10 is led from dummy, do you (East) duck smoothly or win with the ♥A? |
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Dave's Column Answer |
Board 2 from Wednesday 10th November |
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| Dealer: |
♠ |
AQ3 |
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Book Bidding |
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♥ |
10953 |
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| N-S vul |
♦ |
10854 |
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West |
North |
East |
South |
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♣ |
A9 |
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- |
- |
pass |
1NT |
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| ♠ |
97542 |
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♠ |
J108 |
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pass |
3NT (1) |
all pass |
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| ♥ |
86 |
♥ |
A72 |
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| ♦ |
6 |
♦ |
A973 |
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(1) |
Of course 90+% of bridge players will bid 2♣ |
| ♣ |
KJ874 |
♣ |
632 |
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Stayman here. But this is a play problem. |
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♠ |
K6 |
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♥ |
KQJ4 |
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West leads the ♣7 and dummy’s ♣9 wins. The ♥10 is led from |
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♦ |
KQJ2 |
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dummy, do you (East) duck smoothly or win with the ♥A? |
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♣ |
Q105 |
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| Most people would prefer to be in 4♥ with these N-S cards. Here though, that contract fail quickly because of the ♦ ruff. |
| It is true that 3NT should also fail, but most East’s would incorrectly duck at trick two. Then South, with a ♥ in, would switch to ♦’s and establish nine tricks: three ♠’s, one ♥, three ♦’s and two ♣’s. |
Tip: When partner’s suit is one lead from being established (which East should hope in this situation), try your best to win the next defensive trick. Here, you should rush in with the ♥A and return a ♣, dislodging dummy’s ♣A. Then, when South plays a ♦, take that immediately and lead your remaining ♣ |
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And what happened at the Pattaya bridge club? 3NT+1. Everybody else was in the obvious 4♥: making three times and -1 three times. |
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Dave's 2nd Column |
Here is Dave’s 2nd problem this week. |
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| ♠ |
Q2 |
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Book Bidding |
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| ♥ |
64 |
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West |
North |
East |
South |
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| ♦ |
AK643 |
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- |
- |
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pass |
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| ♣ |
10874 |
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1♥ |
pass |
4♣ (1) |
pass |
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♠ |
KJ84 |
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4♥ |
all pass |
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| ♥ |
AJ1053 |
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| ♦ |
Q82 |
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(1) |
A splinter, showing ♣ shortage (singleton or |
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| ♣ |
AK5 |
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void), opening values and 4-card ♥ support. |
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You are North, defending 4♥ and lead the ♦A. Partner discourages, what do you do now? |
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Dave's 2nd Column Answer |
Board 3 from Wednesday 10th November |
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♠ |
Q2 |
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Book Bidding |
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| East |
♥ |
64 |
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| N-S vul |
♦ |
AK643 |
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West |
North |
East |
South |
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♣ |
10874 |
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- |
- |
- |
pass |
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| ♠ |
976 |
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♠ |
KJ84 |
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1♥ |
pass |
4♣ (1) |
pass |
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| ♥ |
KQ972 |
♥ |
AJ1053 |
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4♥ |
all pass |
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| ♦ |
97 |
♦ |
Q82 |
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| ♣ |
AK5 |
♣ |
AK5 |
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(1) |
A splinter, showing ♣ shortage (singleton or |
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♠ |
A1053 |
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void), opening values and 4-card ♥ support. |
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♥ |
8 |
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♦ |
J105 |
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You are North and lead the ♦A, partner discouraging. |
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♣ |
QJ9342 |
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What do you do now? |
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It is likely that partner has three ♦’s in which case the ♦Q can eventually be set up for a ♠ discard. In the hope that declarer has three small ♠’s, your best chance is to switch to the ♠Q and hope partner ducks holding the ♠A10xx, retaining communications between the two hands. |
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What about shifting to a low ♠ hoping that declarer misguesses holding two small ♠’s? It wouldn’t be a bad idea, but declarer knows your partner is more or less marked with the ♠A after your lead has shown the ♦AK (if you had the
♦AK and the ♠A, you would have bid). |
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So it is better to play declarer for three ♠’s and shift to the ♠Q. But what if partner thinks that you have a singleton ♠? In that scenario you would have led the ♦K at trick two to remove his ducking option. |
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As it happens, a shift to the ♠Q at trick two followed by partner ducking is the only defense that defeats 4♥. |
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And what happened at the Pattaya Bridge Club? 3♥*+1, 4♥= twice, 4♠= twice, 5♥-1 and 4♥-1. |
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The bottom line: |
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When partner leads the queen of a suit early on through the KJxx in dummy, and you, third hand, hold A10xx, it is usually right to allow the king to hold. You intend to take two tricks later if and when partner gets in to lead the remaining card you hope he has. |
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Bidding Quiz Answers |
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1NT seems pretty obvious although some may prefer 2♠. |
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Hand B:
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2♠. But this is different. Partner has by-passed ♥’s and this suit will surely be led through partner against NoTrumps. It may be a 4-3 Moysian ♠ fit, but this should play well when you get ruffs in the short trump hand. |
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Bidding Sequence Quiz Answers |
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C
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1♣
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1♠
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pass
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2♥
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A change of suit opposite an overcall is generally played as non-forcing. But some players (notably the top two players in our club I believe, do play it as forcing). |
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1♣
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1♠
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pass
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3♠
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Again, some do play it as invitational, but it’s best to play it as weak/pre-emptive and cue bid 2♣ to show an invitational or better hand (Unassuming Cue bid). |
| E |
1♥ |
2♦ |
2NT |
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And again this is up to you, but most play that it is natural after an overcall, with a cue bid of 3♦ to show a sound ♥ raise. |
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Current Club Championship Standings |
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