Our website is www.pattayabridge.com Club News Sheet – No. 367

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Mon 16^th N-S 1^st Alan K & Alan P 71% 2^nd Ian B & Terry Q 51%

E-W 1^st Janne & Paul Q 58% 2^nd Kenneth & Terje L 57%

Wed 18^th N-S 1^st Alan K & Paul Q 64% 2^nd Janne & Per-Ake 56%

E-W 1^st Dave C & Alan P 57% 2^nd Hans V & Jan 55%

Fri 20^th N-S 1^st Lars B & Jean 60% 2^nd Bjorn S & Dino 51%

E-W 1^st Dave C & Tomas 60% 2^nd Kristen & Richard M 56%

Bidding Quiz Standard American bidding is assumed unless otherwise stated.

Hand A Hand B With Hand A partner opens a weak 2♠, what do you bid?

♠ 65 ♠ KQ

♥ AK94 ♥ KQ8 What do you open with Hand B?

♦ KJ92 ♦ QJ9

♣ AK5 ♣ KQ976

When partner pre-empts in a major… Board 29 from Wednesday 18^th

… it’s usually best to play in his suit rather than NoTrumps.

Dealer: ♠ AQJ432 Table A

North ♥ J8 West North East South(A)

Both vul ♦ Q5 - 2♠ pass 3NT (1)

♣ 982 all pass

♠ K N ♠ 10987 Table B

♥ 75 W E ♥ Q10632 West North East South(A)

♦ A8764 S ♦ 103 - 2♠ pass 4♠ (1)

♣ QJ764 ♣ 103 all pass

♠ 65

♥ AK94

♦ KJ92

♣ AK5

Table A: (1) What did you bid with this South hand A in this week’s quiz? Three people made this mistake of bidding 3NT.

Table B: (1) The other six South’s got it right and either bid 4♠ or else bid 4♠ after checking with Ogust.

And what happened? 3NT-1 three times, 4♠+1 five times and 4♠= once

The bottom line:

- If partner pre-empts in a major then prefer to play in 4 of his major rather than 3NT, The reason is that his long suit may not score in NoTrumps due to lack of entries, as here.

The power of aces Board 11 from Friday 20^th

Dealer: ♠ 42 Table A

South ♥ J106 West North East South(B)

Both vul ♦ AK10863 - - - 1♣ (1)

♣ 102 pass 1♦ pass 2NT

pass 3NT all pass

♠ J87653 N ♠ A109

♥ A42 W E ♥ 9753 Table B

♦ 72 S ♦ 54 - - - 1NT

♣ 43 ♣ AJ85 pass 3NT all pass

♠ KQ

♥ KQ8

♦ QJ9

♣ KQ976

Table A: (1) What did you open with this South hand B in this week’s quiz? This was the popular choice – after all, it’s 18 pts with a decent 5-card suit.

Table B: (1) But one or two did open 1NT and I agree. The ♠KQ doubleton is a terrible holding, especially in NoTrumps which is likely to be the final strain with not much in the majors. Also, an ace-less hand should be downgraded

This deal nicely demonstrates the importance of aces. If South’s KQ’s were Ax then the contract is cold off the top. Here the ♠KQ doubleton proved to be a very bad holding indeed and the ♥KQ and ♣KQ did not score at all. Declarers in 3NT scored only the ♠Q and 6 ♦ tricks.

And what happened? 3NT-2 six times and 5♦-1 for the top! The bottom line:

- KQ doubleton is a terrible holding unless partner has bid the suit – knock off a point.

- Aces are great cards – downgrade a hand with no aces!

- Of course it makes no difference if you open 1NT or jump rebid 2NT, you will always reach the doomed 3NT on this deal. I put it in to demonstrate how important aces are.

Mike Dorn Wiss comment on Hand B from last week

♠ Q This is Hand B from last week’s news sheet, where I asked if you would open

♥ AK87 or not, and if you do open then with what.

♦ J1092

♣ Q653 This is Mike’s opinion:

On this hand I found no difficulty in an original Pass. The stiff ♠Q is of no known value, and 4441 hands are notoriously difficult to describe. (Even playing “mini-Roman” I would not open unless in 3rd green vs. red after two passes). I weaned Fred Gitelman into the world of expert bridge in Toronto playing a Roth-Stone system at the beginning, routinely Passing even 14 counts with similar shape and lack of controls as with this example.

I personally deplore the modern tendency to open any odiferous 12 count – and sometimes less – in an attempt to preempt/intimidate (with their presumed value). In my opinion these hands are quite easy enough to describe later in the auction, and since I prefer to trust in my partners’ judgments and like them to have the same trust in mine, I find comfort in our ensuing decisions of whether to compete or to defend. By opening hands such as these a partnership will find itself in murky waters at the higher levels when the opponents do not interfere as well as in lower levels on defense when they do.

Mike Dorn Wiss comment on Paul's column on card placing by assumption:

Dealer: ♠ Q742 Actual Corrected Bidding

West ♥ 98 West North East South

N-S vul ♦ A10 1♥ 2♣ 3♥ 4♥

♣ AKQJ8 dbl 4♠ dbl redbl

5♥ dbl pass 6♣

♠ - N ♠ AJ1083 all pass

♥ AQJ1073 W E ♥ K6542

♦ Q9743 S ♦ 86

♣ 64 ♣ 7

♠ K965

♥ -

♦ KJ52

♣ 109532

Paul does not have the auction quite right. After his 4♠ bid was doubled, I REDOUBLED with the South cards, assuming his 4♠ bid was a control showing the Ace AND a hand with slam interest; in that case, my redouble to show the 2nd round control (K or singleton) was automatic. When I presented this hand to my friend Dennis Sorensen (a former McKenny/Barry Crane trophy winner on the ACBL circuit) who now resides in Udon Thani he chose to jump directly to 6♣ at that point, rather than redoubling. This choice would bring alive the very real possibility that the Opponents will now save in 6♥ for a bottom score result, and is a practical choice. My choice, however, preserved the chance of reaching a GRAND slam should partner have an appropriate hand containing both pointed aces AND the Q of one of them. When Paul doubled 5♥, he denied a control - not surprisingly - but since in my mind he had already promised the ♠A and slam interest 6♣ was fairly easy to bid; I did wish my ♦J were the ♠J, but reasoned that the risk was justified.

Had my lho "Lightnered" the hand with a Double of 6♣, we would have found the soup indeed, but in my opinion the lead of the ♠A even without an imformatory Double would not have been unreasonable, since it was extremely unlikely the bid was made with shortness - considering lho's original Pass and partner's unlikely holding of ♠ length; on the other hand, North's hand could have held ♠KQxxx with longer C's, and South's Redouble have been made on a stiff, and the lead of the ♠A might have presented the contract.

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

West East West North East South

♠ AJ852 ♠ Q764 - - 1NT pass

♥ 1063 ♥ AJ 2♥ pass 3♠ pass

♦ K9 ♦ J43 4♠ all pass

♣ J104 ♣ AKQ5

South leads the ♥2 and North plays the ♥K, plan the play.

Dave’s Column answer Board 14 from Wednesday 18^th

Dealer: ♠ 9 Book bidding

East ♥ K874 West North East South

Love all ♦ AQ76 - - 1NT pass

♣ 8732 2♥ pass 3♠ (1) pass

4♠ all pass

♠ AJ852 N ♠ Q764

♥ 1063 W E ♥ AJ (1) A super-accept, promising 4 ♠’s.

♦ K9 S ♦ J43

♣ J104 ♣ AKQ5

♠ K103

♥ Q952 South leads the ♥2 and North plays the ♥K.

♦ 10852 Plan the play

♣ 96

The winning strategy is to keep South off lead in order to avoid a possibly embarrassing ♦ shift early in the hand since you plan to discard a ♦ on a ♣ after trumps are drawn. How can South get in? If you win the first ♥, South has a ♥ entry with the ♥Q. True, if South wins the 2^nd ♥, the ♥10 in dummy would be high. But it is an illusion, what are you going to discard on it? So duck the opening lead and win the likely ♥ return. Now you must arrange to keep South from getting in with a trump. The critical holdings South may have are ♠K10x or ♠K9x along with a doubleton ♣, (otherwise you can play 4 rounds of ♣’s pitching a ♦ from dummy while South has a high trump). Lead the ♠Q. If the finesse loses, you are in good shape. You can draw trumps and pitch a ♦ on a ♣. If South covers, win the ♠A and if the ♠9 or ♠10 appear from North, cross to hand with a ♣ and lead a ♠ to the ♠8. Even if this finesse loses you have ten tricks and if it wins you have an overtrick.

And what happened at the Pattaya bridge club? 4♠= 4 times, 4♠-1 5 times.

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

North South West North East South

♠ A53 ♠ KJ1062 - - - 1♠

♥ 98542 ♥ A7 pass 2♠ pass 4♠

♦ Q105 ♦ 3 all pass

♣ 64 ♣ AKQ105

West leads the ♥Q. If South is content to simply make the contract, how should he play?

Dave’s 2^nd Column answer Board 15 from Wednesday 18^th

Dealer: ♠ A53 Book Bidding

South ♥ 98542 West North East South

N-S vul ♦ Q105 - - - 1♠

♣ 64 pass 2♠ pass 4♠

all pass

♠ Q94 N ♠ 87

♥ QJ10 W E ♥ K63

♦ K98 S ♦ AJ7642

♣ J983 ♣ 72

♠ KJ1062

♥ A7 West leads the ♥Q. If South is content to simply make

♦ 3 the contract, how should he play?

♣ AKQ105

N-S do well if they reach this ♠ game. However, bidding game doesn’t guarantee success. How should South plan the play to give himself the best chance?

After South wins his ♥A, if he counts on both black suits behaving to yield eleven winners, he is a naive optimist. He crosses to dummy’s ♠A and finesses on the way back, losing to West’s ♠Q. After West cashes his ♥J he leads a third trump. South’s game now depends upon dropping the ♣J. When it doesn’t fall, South must concede a loser in every suit, so one down.

A better approach is to settle for a good chance of ten tricks rather than a flimsy shot at eleven. After winning his ♥A, South should cash the ♠A,K, rejecting the chance to pick up five trump winners. Then he plays on ♣’s. When his top ♣’s survive, he ruffs a low ♣ with dummy’s last trump and has his ten tricks.

What if an opponent ruffs South’s ♣Q with the outstanding ♠Q? It wouldn’t matter. South can still ruff a ♣ in dummy to establish his 5^th ♣, holding his losers to only three tricks.

And what happened at the Pattaya bridge club? 4♠*=, 4♠= twice, 4♠-1 four times, 6♠-2 and 5♥(N)-3.

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	1949.2 Janne Roos 1924.0 Hans Vikman 1895.6 Paul Quodomine 1804.7 Sally Watson 1735.5 Ivy Schlageter 1725.8 Bob Short 1725.1 Paul Scully 1721.4 Bob Pelletier	690.6 Janne Roos 682.1 Hans Vikman 659.8 Paul Quodomine 636.6 Sally Watson 631.2 Per-Ake Roskvist 625.4 Jeremy Watson 625.0 Per Andersson 623.3 Lars Broman 621.6 Guttorm Lonborg 619.7 Ivy Schlageter	355.2 Janne Roos 351.7 Hans Vikman 337.1 Paul Quodomine 332.6 Per-Ake Roskvist 329.8 Per Andersson 326.0 Sally Watson 325.4 Jeremy Watson 325.3 Ivy Schlageter 321.7 Bob Short 321.5 Lars Broman

Paul’s Column

Guard against what you can see, not what you imagine!!

On Friday, the 13^th (a date significant for my partner who had a true Friday the13^th at the table), I held the following:

Ax

9x

Kxx

AQ10xxx and partner opened 1NT.

Following the Swedish methods as espoused by Janne Roos I bid 2D, relay to 2H, and after partner’s forced 2H I bid 3C (6 or more clubs, game forcing, mild slam interest). I was marginal for this but trotting out your bidding tools that don’t always arise keeps a partnership sharp. Partner tanked for a good ninety seconds (oops, perhaps this wasn’t a good time to get cute with our system), muttered sotto voce “Damn Janne!” and about 30 seconds later had it figured out. His protracted thinking had left him somewhat mentally exhausted however and with:

KQ

Qxxx

AQxx

KJx he produced a 4 C bid. 3D would have been SO much better allowing me to cue bid 3S pinpointing the control weakness in hearts. Three NT would have followed resulting in 11 tricks as the cards lay. I had been end-played in the auction by my partner! Certain that 3NT would produce 10 or 11 tricks I wasn’t settling for 5C and decided to give away as little as possible to the opponents by bidding a direct 6C. The opening lead was a low spade and I faced a disappointing dummy as seen above; Kx, KQxx, AQxx, Kxx would have made it a virtual lay-down but the duplication we had in spades was bad and it now relied on D. Winning the spade in dummy I rattled off 6 club tricks on which RHO with 10xxxx of spades and AK109 of H discarded two spades and a heart! Now standard practice when you can’t beat any of dummy’s cards in the led suit is to show count, in this case odd. But by failing to discard a third spade (his fourth played) he left partner to make his 4^th discard from Jxx, void, 109xx, void facing a dummy of K, Qx, AQxx. It was just barely possible I had begun with A10xx, (A or K), Jx, AQ10xxx and his partner guarded diamonds. So he pitched a diamond and un-guarded the 4^th round of the suit. The suit now ran for my 12 tricks. While his partner should have eased his burden by discarding only spades … was that 10 going to take a trick? … this defender fell prey to the error of NOT guarding against what he could SEE! “Seeing” may also include remembering a response to Stayman, etc, where a suit holding can be deduced from the auction.

I encounter this time and time again, guard against what you can see!

< end of Paul’s Column >

Bidding Quiz Answers

Hand A: 4♠ (or possibly 2NT Ogust if you play that). The point is that you should NOT bid 3NT, the may be problems setting up partner’s suit due to lack of entries if they are not trumps.

Hand B: 1NT. It’s 18 points but the ♠KQ doubleton is a really bad holding – deduct a point. The hand has a decent ♣ suit but this is countered by the fact that the hand is aceless.

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