Our website is www.pattayabridge.com Club News Sheet – No. 280

Our blogsite is www.pattayabridge.wordpress.com

My home phone is 038 422924 and my mobile number is 083 6066880 16^th Mar 2008

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

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Mon 17^th N-S 1^st Bob P & Paul K 61% 2^nd Anne N & Terry 58%

E-W 1^st Hans V & Tomas 59% 2^nd Jan & Paul B 58%

Wed 19^th N-S 1^st Hans V & Lars B 64% 2^nd Bob & Lars G 52%

E-W 1^st Gerard & Ursula 58% 2^nd Ken & Paul S 55%

Fri 21^st 1^st Hans V & Dave 65% 2^nd Jean-Charles & Mike 62%

Bidding Quiz

Hand A Hand B With Hand A it’s unfavourable vulnerability. Partner opens 1♣

and RHO overcalls 1NT, what do you do?

♠ 42 ♠ Q103

♥ 972 ♥ KQ6 With Hand B you open 1♦ and LHO doubles. Partner bids 1♠ and

♦ AJ98 ♦ AK98 you bid 1NT. LHO then bids 2♣ which partner doubles, what

♣ A1097 ♣ 1094 do you do?

Hand C Hand D With Hand C partner opens 4♥, what do you do?

♠ K83 ♠ Q954

♥ Q853 ♥ QJ76 With Hand D partner opens 2♣ and you bid 2♦ waiting. Partner

♦ AQJ105 ♦ A83 then bids 2♠, what do you bid?

♣ A ♣ J5

Bidding Sequence Quiz

E 2NT pass 3♣ pass 3♣ is Stayman, what does the 3NT response mean?

3NT

F 1♦ dbl 1♠ pass What is the double by responder?

1NT 2♣ dbl

G pass 1♠ pass 1NT What is the double?

dbl

Tripple Crown

Congratulations to Hans Vikman who has become just the 11^th person to achieve the triple (three wins in one week) since records started three years ago. I note that he achieved this feat with three different partners.

Play in the 4-4 major suit fit Board 18 from Friday 21^st

It seems that the only pair to bid this hand sensibly were our opponents, and so we got a complete zero through no fault of out own. It was just one of those days.

Dealer: ♠ AQ43 West North East South

East ♥ Q753 - - pass 1♣

N-S vul ♦ KJ643 pass 1♦ pass 1♥

♣ - pass 4♥ all pass

♠ K1087 N ♠ 6

♥ 86 W E ♥ KJ9

♦ 109 S ♦ Q872

♣ Q10852 ♣ KJ974

♠ J952

♥ A1042

♦ A5

♣ A63

This was our opponent’s auction. So why is it in the news sheet you may ask, when there is no other remotely sensible auction possible?

I guess that it would be slightly different if N-S played a weak NoTrump (1NT - 2♣ - 2♥ - 4♥) but I simply cannot see any auction to arrive at any contract other than 4♥.

And if N-S play 4-card majors (and a strong NoTrump) South should open 1♥.

But what happened at the Pattaya bridge club? Only this N-S pair bid 4♥, making +1. The other contracts were 4♠-3, 3NT-3, 3NT-2 and 2NT-1. I simply cannot see how anybody can end up in NoTrumps, perhaps somebody can enlighten me?

The bottom lines: -

- Look for the 4-4 major suit fit.

- That 60% of the club can miss TWO major suit fits and go down in 2NT or 3NT when 4♥ makes +1 and 4♠ should make exactly is absolutely amazing.

Dave’s Column Here is this week’s Dave input involving the best play for the contract.

West East You are West, declarer in 6♥ and North leads the ♣K,

♠ 7 ♠ K83 plan the play.

♥ AKJ109742 ♥ Q853

♦ 32 ♦ AQJ105

♣ 65 ♣ A

Dave’s Column answer Board 20 from Wednesday 19^th

Dealer: ♠ A654 West North East(C) South

West ♥ 6 4♥ pass 4NT (1) pass

both vul ♦ 8764 5♥ (2) pass 6♥ all pass

♣ KQJ8

(1) What did you bid with this East hand C in this

♠ 7 N ♠ K83 week’s quiz? It would be easier if you were

♥ AKJ109742 W E ♥ Q853 playing Namyats, but given primitive methods

♦ 32 S ♦ AQJ105 where a 4♥ opening can be virtually anything

♣ 65 ♣ A with an 8 card ♥ suit then I guess it’s worth

♠ QJ1092 an effort with RKCB.

♥ - (2) Two keycards but no ♥Q.

♦ K9

♣ 65432 North leads the ♣K, plan the play.

We have a ♠ loser and a possible ♦ loser. If you take the ♦ finesse and it works then you will make an overtrick. But if it loses then they cash a ♠ and you are one down. So finessing the ♦ is 50%. Can we do better?

Yes! If you lead a ♠ towards the ♠K before taking the ♦ finesse you double your chances of making the slam!

You make the contract if North has either the ♠A or the ♦K. Assuming that North wins the ♠A then you have a parking place for your losing ♦ on the ♠K.

If the ♠K loses to South, fall back on the ♦ finesse. Two finesses are better than one.

And what happened at the Pattaya Bridge Club? Three bid and made 6♥, one went down and the other three did not bid the slam.

The bottom lines: -

- When two finesses are available, either of which will give you your contract, take the one which also allows you to take the other should the first fail. Basically, this means leading a singleton towards a king before taking another finesse.

- Namyats is a convention that enables opener to differentiate between a decent 4♥/♠ opener and a poor pre-emptive one.

- It is explained on the website; Conventions > Section 1 > Namyats.

Dave’s 2^nd Column Here is Dave’s 2^nd input involving the best play for the contract.

North South You are South, declarer in 7♠ and West leads a top ♥,

♠ Q954 ♠ AK832 plan the play.

♥ QJ76 ♥ -

♦ A83 ♦ KQ104

♣ J5 ♣ AKQ10

Dave’s 2^nd Column answer Board 23 from Wednesday 19^th

Dealer: ♠ Q954 West North(D) East South

South ♥ QJ76 - - - 2♣

Both vul ♦ A83 pass 2♦ (1) pass 2♠

♣ J5 pass 3♠ (2) pass 4♣ (3)

pass 4♦ (3) pass 5NT (4)

♠ - N ♠ J1076 pass 6♣ (5) pass 6♦ (6)

♥ AK952 W E ♥ 10843 pass 7♠ all pass

♦ 9652 S ♦ J7

♣ 8743 ♣ 962 (1) Waiting

♠ AK832 (2) What did you bid with this North hand D in
♥ - this week’s quiz? This 3♠ bid shows slam

♦ KQ104 interest (4♠ would be weak) and is correct.

♣ AKQ10 (3) cue bid (the ace)

(4) Josaphine, asking about trump honours.

(5) No ♠A or ♠K

(6) Do you have the trump queen?

(7) Yes

How do you play the hand after ruffing the ♥K opening lead?

You should see at a glance that there is no problem unless the ♠’s are 4-0. Even with a 3-1 division you will be able to ruff your 4^th ♦ in dummy if necessary.

Given your combined ♠ holding, you can pick up 4 ♠’s if they are with East but not if they are with West.

So at trick two lead a low ♠ to the ♠Q. If everybody follows, draw trumps and claim. If East shows out you must concede one down. But if West shows out play a 2^nd ♠ from dummy covering East’s ♠10 with the ♠K. Now re-enter dummy with a ♣ and finesse East out of his remaining two ♠’s.

Now all you have to worry about is the ♦J. The best play is simply to run the ♣’s and reduce your hand to 4 ♦’s, dummy keeping 3 ♦’s and a ♥.

Play the ♦K, a ♦ to the ♦A and if the ♦J has not dropped play a third ♦ towards the ♦Q10. On the actual deal there is no guess in ♦’s as the ♦J drops.

The bottom lines: -

- When a contract looks good, assume a bad break in the key suit.

And what happened at the Pattaya bridge Club? Just one pair bid 7♠ and went one down. One was in 4♠+2 and everybody else in 6♠, with most making exactly; just one 6♠ declarer made 13 tricks.

Go for the penalty – part 1 Board 12 from Monday 17^th

Dealer: ♠ AQ98 West North East(A) South

West ♥ K3 1♣ 1NT pass (1) 2♣ (2)

N-S vul ♦ KQ2 pass 2♠ pass pass

♣ K863 pass

♠ KJ5 N ♠ 42 (1) What did you bid with this East hand A in

♥ AQ84 W E ♥ 972 this week’s quiz? With 9 points opposite

♦ 104 S ♦ AJ98 an opener you have the majority of the

♣ QJ54 ♣ A1097 points and double is very clear.

♠ 10763 (2) East’s failure to double makes it easy for

♥ J1065 South to use Stayman and find a fit.

♦ 7653

♣ 2

And what happened? 2♠ went just one down for a complete top to N-S. Most E-W’s were making partscores. I note that 1NT by North went minus 4 at another table – South really has to bid Stayman to find a fit. The bottom lines: -

- When you know that you have the balance of power then double a 1NT overcall, it’s penalties.

Go for the penalty – part 2 Board 18 from Friday 21^st

Dealer: ♠ AJ7 West(B) North East South

West ♥ J1043 1♦ dbl 1♠ (1) pass

Love all ♦ 10 1NT 2♣ (2) dbl (3) pass

♣ KQJ76 2♠ (4) all pass

♠ Q103 N ♠ K864 (1) This is correct, the hand is not quite good

♥ KQ6 W E ♥ A87 enough for a redouble.

♦ AK98 S ♦ J73 (2) Normally bidding having doubled shows a

♣ 1094 ♣ 832 strong hand, but both opponents have shown

♠ 952 values and so this is fine in the balancing seat.

♥ 952 (3) East (correctly) thought that 1NT would have

♦ Q6542 made and the 2♣ will probably go one down

♣ A5 (also correct). One down is only 50 and so

East made a typical pairs double.

(4) What did you bid with this West hand B in this weeks quiz? Pass is very clear, especially with three trumps.

And what happened? 2♠ went one down for a near bottom. 2♣ doubled would have gone one down for a decent score to N-S. The bottom lines: -

- When the points are roughly equal (as in this case) the Law of Total Tricks is very important. East obviously has just 4 ♠’s on the bidding and with just 3 ♠’s and a totally flat hand West can expect 2♠ to go one down. With 3 ♣’s himself, West can expect N-S to have a maximum of 7 ♣’s and so go down in 2♣.

- Trust your partner unless you have a strange hand.

Bidding Quiz Answers

Hand A: Double. Your side has the majority of the points and you should be looking for the vulnerable penalty.

Hand B: Pass. You have absolutely no reason to remove partner’s penalty double.

Hand C: 4NT, I guess. At least that’s what Dave’s book says. I would not be in this predicament if playing with my regular partner as we play Namyats and so I would pass 4♥ (4♣ shows a good 4♥ opening).

Hand D: 3♠. This is encouraging and showing slam interest (4♠ would be weak). It would be totally wrong for you to take control of the hand with a 4NT Blackwood bid, partner needs to be the captain and you can show him the ♦A and ♠Q easily enough whatever route he chooses.

Bidding Sequence Answers

E 2NT pass 3♣ pass 3NT is total nonsense. To play it as showing both majors has

3NT no logic whatsoever, 3♥ works fine and enables partner to stop at the three level if he
. is totally bust.

F 1♦ dbl 1♠ pass Responder’s double is penalties, if he had a 2^nd suit he could

1NT 2♣ dbl simply bid it.

G pass 1♠ pass 1NT The double is a take-out double of 1♠. The fact that doubler

dbl is a passed hand simply means that he is limited to around 10-11 points and so has good shape.