Club News Sheet – No. 220 www.pattayabridge.com 21^st Jan 2007

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Mon 15^th 1^st N-S Jan Roos & Per-Ake 64% 2^nd Dave & Jo 61%

1^st E-W Arne & Lars 70% 2^nd Gunnar & Lars Gus.. 63%

Wed 17^th 1^st N-S Ivy & Gulia 57% 2^nd Bob & Mike 57%

1^st E-W Paul Sav.. & Dave 67% 2^nd Lasse & Janne 64%

Fri 19^th 1^st N-S Sophus & Ase 58% 2^nd Jan Roos & Per-Ake 57%

1^st E-W Lars Gus.. & Lars Br.. 63% 2^nd Gunvor & Margit 57%

Bidding Quiz Standard American is assumed unless otherwise stated.

Hand A Hand B With Hand A RHO opens 1♥, what do you bid.

♠ 532 ♠ AJ97 With Hand B RHO opens 1♥. (a) What do you bid?

♥ Q6 ♥ QJ6 (b) Suppose you double and LHO bids 1NT; what now?

♦ AK83 ♦ AQ107 (c) Suppose you double and partner bids 2♣; what now?

♣ A1082 ♣ A7

Hand C Hand D What do you open with Hand C?

♠ 95 ♠ KJ6

♥ A ♥ 732 With Hand D partner opens a weak 2♠, what do you bid

♦ K85 ♦ AKQ and what are your intentions?

♣ AKQJ1086 ♣ Q1043

Hand E Hand F With Hand E partner opens 3NT (long solid minor with no

outside ace or king). What do you bid?

♠ AJ1084 ♠ J10985

♥ KJ109 ♥ 10843 With Hand F you are vul with non-vul opponents. Partner opens

♦ QJ104 ♦ A7 1NT and RHO overcalls 2♠ (Cappelletti or Multi Landy) showing

♣ - ♣ KQ 5 ♠’s and a 4 or 5 card minor. What do you bid?

Bidding Sequences Quiz

G 3NT What is a 3NT opening?

H 1♥ dbl pass 2♣ How many points is 2NT?

pass 2NT

J 1♥ dbl 1NT pass How strong is 2♦?

pass 2♦

Don’t double with flat hands – part 1 Board 3 from Monday 15^th

Dealer: ♠ AJ97 Table A

South ♥ QJ6 West North(B) East South

E-W Vul ♦ AQ107 - - - pass

♣ A7 1♥ dbl (1) 1NT (2) pass

pass 2♦ (3) pass (4) pass

♠ Q32 N ♠ K105 pass

♥ AK753 W E ♥ 108

♦ 83 S ♦ K9652 Table B

♣ KJ10 ♣ 653 West North(B) East South

♠ 864 - - - pass

♥ 942 1♥ dbl (1) pass (2) 2♣

♦ J4 pass 2NT (5) all pass

♣ Q9842

Table A: (1) What did you bid with this North hand B(a) in this week’s quiz? 1NT (15-18) with a ♥ stop seems clear to me. Some people believe that with 4 ♠’s you should double 1♥ - I don’t go along with that philosophy as if partner does not also have 4 ♠’s then you are stuck next go.

(2) 1NT after RHO’s double should be around 8-10 points (pass with less) but it’s always nice to describe one’s hand and it has good shape with two tens.

(3) What did you bid with this North hand B(b) in this week’s quiz? Obviously you would not be in this position had you overcalled 1NT. Anyway, bidding again here shows a very good hand (too good for a 2♦ overcall) and a very good ♦ suit. I cannot see that this North hand qualifies on either count. North should simply pass now – E-W have both shown values and partner has nothing!

(4) East did think of doubling, but it may just be that North actually had his bid?

Table B: (1) Another North chose to double.

(2) This East chose to pass – fine.

(5) What did you bid with this North hand B(C) in this week’s quiz? Here we see why double at (1) is wrong – what is North meant to do when partner does not bid ♠’s? 2NT is terrible – it shows 19-21 points.

And what happened? 2♦ went minus three for a poor score. Just two North’s correctly bid 1NT at (1) and played there for good scores; everybody else overbid with the North hand.

The bottom lines:

- A take-out double is playable in the other three suits (or very strong).

- A double followed by NoTrump shows a hand too strong for 1NT (so 19+).

- With a balanced 15-18 and a stop, bid 1NT rather than double even if you hold 4 of the unbid major.

- When you are non-vul it often pays to get the 1NT bid in before the opponents. Here North will go one down (-50) but if East plays 1NT he makes for +90.

Don’t double with flat hands – part 2 Board 10 from Monday 15^th

Dealer: ♠ AK986 Table A

East ♥ A1073 West(A) North East South

both Vul ♦ 952 - - pass 1♥

♣ 3 dbl (1) redbl (2) pass (3) pass

pass (4)

♠ 532 N ♠ Q107

♥ Q6 W E ♥ 42 Table B

♦ AK83 S ♦ Q1076 West(A) North East South

♣ A1082 ♣ 7654 - - pass 1♥

♠ J4 pass (1) 1♠ (5) pass 2♣

♥ KJ985 pass 4♥ (6) all pass

♦ J4

♣ KQJ9

Table A: (1) What did you bid with this West hand A in this week’s quiz? I would need much better (and preferably four) ♠’s to double 1♥.

(2) 9+ points

(3) East has nothing to say (bid a 5 card suit).

(4) Obviously West should run (to 2♣).

Table B: (1) This is best – do not double with flat hands, especially with three small in the unbid major

(5) I would splinter with 4♣ but I guess it’s OK to show this good suit.

(6) With a singleton opposite partner’s 2^nd suit North settles for game.

And what happened? Most pairs were in 4♥ making. At Table A declarer lost a ♥ trick (he quite reasonable expected West to be short in ♥’s) and so made only 9 tricks but who cares when you are getting 1520 on the board anyway.

The bottom lines:

- A take-out double is playable in the other three suits (or very strong).

- Do not double ‘to show an opening hand’.

- ♠532 is not a good enough holding to double 1♥.

A classic hold-up Board 17 from Monday 15^th

Dealer: ♠ AKQ862 North’s enthusiastic bidding paid off

North ♥ 1052 on this deal when the defence slipped up.

Love all ♦ 7

♣ A52 West North East South

♠ J5 N ♠ 1074 - 1♠ pass (1) pass

♥ 63 W E ♥ AQ7 2♦ (2) 2♠ 3♦ pass

♦ QJ1043 S ♦ AK82 pass 3♠ 4♦ pass

♣ KQ76 ♣ 983 pass 4♠ dbl all pass

♠ 93

♥ KJ984 (1) A clear pass if you read the previous two

♦ 965 pages.

♣ J104 (2) Quite acceptable in the balancing seat.

And what happened? East cashed the ♦A and then tried a 2^nd round (a ♣9 switch sets the contract). Declarer ruffed and drew trumps. He then led the ♥10. What card should East play?

Answer: The ♥7. Playing the ♥A and belatedly switching to a ♣ allowed declarer to set up the ♥’s with a finesse for two ♣ discards and make the contract.

The bottom lines:

- With a running (or finessable and running) suit in dummy, hold up with the ace if dummy has no entry.

- In situations like this partner will give count to indicate how many times to hold up. West would have played the ♥6 (high-low) to show an even number of ♥’s and East knows to hold up twice. Declarer is then down, losing 2 ♣’s, a ♦ and a ♥.

A play problem (continued from last week)

Remember this problem from last week? You are in 6NT with plenty of entries in all of the other suits. How do you play the following suit for max one loser at pairs?

♦A87654 opposite ♦Q109

Eddie sent an e-mail suggesting playing low towards the ♦Q109 and covering whatever is played. Eddie says: -

“Surely the best line on the hand given the number of entries to either is to lead from the hand holding Axxxxx towards the QT9 and just covering any card played by North. This will only lose to a singleton J in the South hand or if N plays small from Kx which would be a hell of a good play to find at the table! – i.e. 1 deal (or a very unlikely 3 deal(s)).  Your line of playing the Q and running it would lose two tricks every time N held KJx(x) – i.e. 3 hands. And if you ran the T it would also lose two tricks to KJx(x) in the North hand for which there are the same 3 possible hands.

Of course my line gives up on making all 13 tricks but that is so unlikely missing 4 cards including the K & J – and incidentally it is impossible to make 13 tricks on the actual deal unless there was a revoke or an incredibly stupid play by South who must surely make a trick holding KJx when he can see QT9 in Dummy!!”

This is me, Terry again. I checked the scores and West did indeed make 13 tricks. I believe that South played the ♦J under the ♦Q – “an incredibly stupid play”. Banging down the ♦A is also an acceptable line; losing in three cases (including the actual one) and winning all the tricks when South has singleton king. Eddie’s line is probably best against non-experts but gives up the 5% chance of making all of the tricks.

Multi Landy does it’s job Board 6 from Friday 19^th

As you probably know, Multi Landy is my favourite defence to 1NT and is what I encourage club players to play. It worked a treat on this deal, against one of the club’s top pairs.

Dealer: ♠ KQ643

East ♥ K96 West North East(F) South

E-W Vul ♦ KJ92 - - pass pass

♣ 8 1NT 2♠ (1) dbl (2) 2NT (3)

pass (4) 3♦ pass (5) pass

♠ A72 N ♠ J10985 pass (6)

♥ AQ2 W E ♥ 10843

♦ 104 S ♦ A7

♣ AJ1093 ♣ KQ

♠ -

♥ J75

♦ Q8653

♣ 76542

Table A: (1) Multi Landy – showing 5 ♠’s and a 4 or 5 card minor.

(2) What did you bid with this East hand F in this week’s quiz? This East chose double - penalties. As it turns out 3NT may have worked better, especially at this vulnerability.

(3) Which minor do you have?

(4) West could double here to say that he can penalise at least one minor.

(5) And now East has problems. He has the values for 3NT but fears a ♦ attack.

(6) And clearly West can do nothing with just ♦104 and uncertainty about partner’s values.

And what happened? 3♦ made exactly for a complete top to N-S. 3NT was bid 5 times and made on 4 occasions (once +2 and once +3). There were also the usual spurious results.

The bottom lines:

- Play Multi Landy; it may or may not be the best defence to 1NT but if it’s what most people in this club play and it makes life easier for scratch partnerships.

- E-W can only make 8 trick in No Trumps on a ♦ lead; had East decided to bid 3NT at (2) as happened at a number of tables then West will make 3NT (plus a few) on a ♠ lead. That may well have been the best option at this vulnerability.

- Playing Lebensohl East would have to bid 2NT at (2) and then 3NT after partner’s forced 3♣ response – showing a ♠ stop.

Defence to Multi Landy Board 14 from Monday 15^th

A 2♣ overcall of 1NT is very often showing both majors (Multi Landy for example) and partnerships have to agree what to do over it. Over a natural 2♣ then double is often played as Stayman, but do you want to bid Stayman when RHO has advertised 9+ cards in the majors?

Dealer: ♠ K8754 Table A

East ♥ K654 West North East South

both Vul ♦ J4 - - pass pass

♣ J3 1NT 2♣ (1) 3♣ (2) pass (3)

3♦ (4) pass 4♣ (5) pass

♠ AJ109 N ♠ - 5♣ all pass

♥ A8 W E ♥ QJ102

♦ A97 S ♦ 10862 ‘Expert’ Table

♣ K1082 ♣ AQ764 West North East South

♠ Q632 - - pass pass

♥ 973 1NT 2♣ dbl (2) 2♠ (6)

♦ KQ53 dbl (7) pass 3NT (8)

♣ 95

Table A: (1) Multi Landy – showing at least 9 cards in the majors.

(2) Without any agreement (or over a natural 2♣ bid) this is Stayman. I don’t know whether this East intended it as natural or Stayman or whatever they play a 3♣ response to 1NT with no overcall as (maybe an ambiguous splinter?).

(3) There is no need for South to mention his ♠’s at the three level.

(4) West thought that 3♣ was a transfer to ♦’s. This is a new one on me; if you play 4-way transfers and agree to play systems on over any type of 2♣ overcall then 2NT is the transfer to ♦’s. But I do not recommend this when 2♣ shows both majors (see overleaf for a defence to Multi Landy).

(5) 3NT is an option – but E-W have got themselves into a mess and nobody knows what’s going on any more.

Table B: (2) Our experts have an agreement over a major suited 2♣ overcall of course (I spell it out on the next page). When 2♣ shows the majors then there is little point in having a Stayman bid; so double says that East can happily defend one (or both) of the majors doubled.

(6) Now south obviously bids his best major.

(7) Penalties.

(8) And East is in the happy position of having two good options – pass or 3NT. With a void in ♠’s 3NT looks best – in this auction he knows that partner has good ♠’s.

And what happened? 5♣ made +1 for about average. Most of the field were in 3NT making anything from 9 to 11 tricks.

The bottom lines:

- Established partnerships need a defence to Multi Landy/Cappelletti.

- Jumps to the three level over partner’s 1NT opening (assuming no interference) have to be agreed. Standard is that they are a good suit and game forcing but all of the options (including a number of better ones) are discussed in the NoTrump bidding book.

A Defence to Multi Landy.

If partner’s 1NT opening is overcalled with a natural bid then it is generally best to play double as penalties and all other bids as natural (Lebensohl).

The one case where I like to differ from this philosophy is when it’s a 2♣ overcall. Over a natural 2♣ overcall I like to play double as Stayman and systems on (2♦ = transfer to ♥’s etc.). Over any higher overcall then double is penalties and systems are off.

But when the opponents overcall is artificial (often the case these days) then things are different. For example there is little point in doubling an artificial bid for penalties and little point in bidding Stayman if RHO has shown both majors.

Here is a scheme for combating Multi-Landy (and with a minor change, Cappelletti): -

Multi Landy meaning responder’s meaning

bid bid

2♣ both majors pass generally less than invitational values

dbl can penalise at least one major

3♣ natural and forcing

other basically natural (Lebensohl)

2♦ single suited hand pass generally less than invitational values

dbl Stayman

3♦ natural and forcing

other basically natural (Lebensohl)

2♥/♠ 5♥/♠’s an a minor pass generally less than invitational values

dbl penalties for the major bid.

3♥/♠ three of the major = game forcing Stayman

other basically natural (Lebensohl)

2NT ♣’s and ♦’s pass generally less than invitational values

dbl can penalise at least one minor

3♣ Stayman, not game forcing

3♦ Stayman, game forcing

3♥/♠ natural and game forcing

If the defenders play Cappelletti then make the obvious changes to the 2♣/♦ overcall.

Note that over 2♣ (or 2♦ defending against Cappelletti) there is no need for Stayman (dbl says at least one major).

The ‘generally less than invitational values’ over 2♣/♦/NT may be stronger but just waiting to see what the opposition say.

It’s only worth an invite Board 30 from Friday 19^th

16 points opposite a weak two opener, with 3 card support, is only worth an invitation.

Dealer: ♠ KJ6 Table A

East ♥ 732 West North(D) East South

Love all ♦ AKQ - - pass 2♠ (1)

♣ Q1043 pass 4♠ (2) all pass

♠ A7 N ♠ 108 Table B

♥ KJ985 W E ♥ Q106 West North(D) East South

♦ 1098654 S ♦ 732 - - pass 2♦ (1)

♣ - ♣ AKJ92 pass 2NT (3) pass 3♠ (4)

♠ Q95432 pass pass (5) pass

♥ A4

♦ J

♣ 8765

Table A: (1) A weak two.

(2) What did you bid with this North hand D in this week’s quiz? It has nice trumps but otherwise it’s very poor (AKQ in a 3 card suit and totally flat). The hand is only (just about) worth an invitation (so, 2NT playing Ogust or else pass).

Table B: (1) This pair play the Multi (a weak 2♥/♠ or a strong hand).

(3) And this asks partner’s hand type.

(4) Weak ♠’s with a poor hand (3♦ shows weak ♠’s with a decent 8-9 points).

(5) And North wisely decided not to press on.

And what happened? Seven (!) out of nine pairs overbid to 4♠. One was rescued when the opponents ‘sacrificed’ in 5♦ and the other six all went one down. 3♠ making was a top apart from the phantom 5♦ sacrifice.

The bottom lines:

- 2NT over partner weak two is best played as Ogust – to find out precisely how strong opener is.

- Over a Multi 2♦ 2NT still asks but it’s not quite so accurate as there are only two responses for each major suit.

- Downgrade AKQ trippleton – points belong in long suits.

A 3NT opener? Board 30 from Friday 19^th

What does a 3NT opening mean? I’ve been over this a few times and the only sensible option is the gambling 3NT – showing a completely solid minor suit with ABSOLUTELY NO outside ace or king. If it were not for the horrendous 6-0 ♣ break a cold 6♣ or reasonable 6NT would have been missed on this deal by the 3NT openers.

Dealer: ♠ 95

North ♥ A West North(C) East South(E)

E-W vul ♦ K85 - 3NT pass pass (2)

♣ AKQJ1086 pass

♠ - N ♠ KQ7632

♥ Q874 W E ♥ 6532

♦ A53 S ♦ 972

♣ 975432 ♣ -

♠ AJ1084

♥ KJ109

♦ QJ104

♣ -

(1) What did you open with this North Hand C in this week’s quiz? If you play the gambling 3NT in the only sensible way (absolutely nothing outside) then 3NT is an appalling bid.

(2) What did you bid with this South Hand E in this week’s quiz? South had a long think here. North had promised no ace or king outside ♣’s, South has all of the other three suits stopped – but no entry to the North hand! Eventually South decided not to pull it to 4♣ as North may just have a suitable queen or even a nine as an entry.

And what happened? Two pairs bid and made slam somehow. One went down in 4NT. And 5 pairs stopped in 3NT making anything from 9 to 12 tricks.

The bottom lines:

- I think that 3NT is a horrendous opening by North. But then both the reigning club champion and the runner-up both chose 3NT. Just goes to show something, but I don’t know what. Perhaps I should retire and they should be writing the news-sheets?

- What should you open with this North hand? I would not argue with: -

. 2♣ followed by 3♣ (game forcing) – this would be my choice, or ...

. 1♣ followed by 3NT or …

. 2♣ followed by 2NT or 3NT or …

. A Benjamin 2♣ followed by 3♣ or…

. A Multi bid showing a good hand and good minor.

- The only bid which I don’t like is an opening 3NT which is clearly defined by most established partnerships as absolutely nothing (no ace or king) outside the suit.

- To have ‘something(s) in reserve’ erodes partnership trust and misses slams.

Bidding Quiz Answers

Hand A: Pass. A double is playable in the other three suits, with the emphasis on any unbid majors. ♠532 is not a suit that I would like to emphasise.

Hand B: (a) 1NT. 15-18 with a ♥ stop.

(b) Pass. RHO has 12+ and LHO usually 8-9 – partner has very little and if you bid you will go down!

(c) I don’t know. That’s why I would not double at (a).

Hand C: 2♣ (followed by 3♣); acceptable alternatives are 1♣ or 2♣(followed by 2NT or 3NT) or 2♣(Benjamin) or 2♦(Multi). I.e. virtually anything except a gambling 3NT which promises absolutely nothing (max a queen) outside the suit.

Hand D: Either 2NT, Ogust - and pass if partner shows a minimum; or simply pass. 4♠ is an overbid – the hand has nice trumps but AKQ in a 3 card suit is bad as is the 4333 shape.

Hand E: 4♣ or pass. Partner’s gambling 3NT promises absolutely no outside ace or king so there is no entry to his hand! But pass is a reasonable option as he may just have an entry with a useful queen or nine.

Hand F: 3NT. (or 2NT followed by 3NT if you play Lebensohl). You know that LHO has at most one ♠ and if you double he will look for the minor suit fit – and it is quite likely that they have a decent fit in one of the minors. So do not double, but bid 3NT and hope for the expected ♠ lead. An additional factor is the vulnerability – you reckon to make 3NT (especially if you don’t let them find their minor suit fit) and you will not get rich at this vulnerability by doubling three of a minor when they have a fit there.

Bidding Sequences Quiz Answers

G 3NT The 3NT opening is best played as the Gambling 3NT – a completely solid minor with no ace or king outside.

H 1♥ dbl pass 2♣ The NoTrump bid having doubled shows a hand too strong to

pass 2NT overcall 1NT – so about 19-21 points.

J 1♥ dbl 1NT pass A new suit having doubled shows a hand too strong to overcall,

pass 2♦ so more than the equivalent of 18 points.