Our website is www.pattayabridge.com Club News Sheet – No. 386

Our blogsite is www.pattayabridge.wordpress.com

My mobile phone number is 083 6066880 3^rd April 2010

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

My MSN messenger ID is tj_quested@hotmail.com

Mon 29^th N-S 1^st Dave C & Frode 57% 2^nd Jeremy & Sally 56%

E-W 1^st Janne & Paul Q 60% 2^nd Dave H & Tony C 60%

Wed 31^st N-S 1^st Kenneth & Ursula 60% 2^nd Bengt & Guttorm 56%

E-W 1^st Dave H & Tony C 58% 2^nd Terry Ibbs & Tobjorn 57%

Fri 2^nd N-S 1^st Per-Ake & Per And.. 63% 2^nd Hans V & Paul Q 62%

E-W 1^st Jan & Tony C 62% 2^nd Bengt & Bob S 61%

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Bidding Quiz Standard American bidding is assumed unless otherwise stated.

Hand A Hand B What do you open (1^st seat vul) with Hand A ?

♠ 109 ♠ 109

♥ 1083 ♥ A8643 With Hand B everybody is vulnerable. Partner deals and passes

♦ AKQ104 ♦ A83 and RHO opens 3♣, what do you do?

♣ AJ8 ♣ A62

Bidding Sequence Quiz

C 1NT pass 2♦ pass

2♥ pass 4NT what is 4NT – quantitative, ace asking or what?

D pass pass 1♥ pass 2♣ is natural (not Drury) by this pair. Is 3♥ invitational or

2♣ pass 3♥ forcing opposite an initial passed hand?

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		641.8 Janne Roos 639.7 Hans Vikman 632.6 Paul Quodomine 619.8 Lars Broman 613.9 Tomas Wikman 609.5 Duplessy & Coutlet 606.1 Jean Wissing 587.8 Bengt Malgren 580.4 Holger Renken 573.5 Tom Grovslien	328.9 Tomas Wikman 327.8 Janne Roos 327.4 Hans Vikman 322.9 Lars Broman 319.6 Sally Watson 319.5 Paul Quodomine 319.5 Duplessy & Coutlet 318.6 Jean Wissing 304.5 Bengt Malmgren 303.5 Bob Short

Worth a strong 1NT? Board 5 from Friday 2^nd

Dealer: ♠ 109 Table A

North ♥ 1083 West North(A) East South

N-S vul ♦ AKQ104 - 1♦ (1) pass 1♥

♣ AJ8 pass 1NT (2) pass 2♣ (3)

pass 3♥ (4) pass 4♥

♠ Q73 N ♠ K8654 all pass

♥ K652 W E ♥ J

♦ 97 S ♦ J86 Table B

♣ 10964 ♣ 7532 West North(A) East South

♠ AJ2 - 1NT (1) pass 2♦

♥ AQ974 pass 2♥ pass 4NT (5)

♦ 532 pass 5♥ (6) pass 6♥

♣ KQ all pass

Table A: (1) What did you open with this North hand A in this week’s quiz? This was the ‘obvious’ and most popular choice.

(2) With a weak ♠ doubleton, 2♥ is an alternative.

(3) New minor Forcing – asking for three ♥’s here.

(4) Maximum with three ♥’s

Table B: (1) This North does not simply add up HCP’s but evaluates hands according to good long suits, tens and intermediates, etc. In his (i.e. my) opinion this Hand A is easily worth a strong 1NT opening and that’s my answer.

(5) What was your answer to bidding sequence C? I like to play this as quantitive and use 4♣ to ask for aces (or keycards by agreement). This was an unfamiliar partnership and had no understanding whatsoever.

(6) North has no problem as it happens – if 4NT was quantitative then this is to play in 5♥, if 4NT was ace asking this shows the two aces and if 4NT was just a forcing bid meaning nothing (as I believe it was) then 5♥ shows the ♥ support.

And what happened? 6♥ made exactly for a cold top. It appears that nobody else opened 1NT and other contracts were 3NT and 4♥, all making with overtricks. 6♥ is a good contract and is only defeated on a ♠ lead (unlikely from East’s holding).

The bottom lines:

- Don’t be afraid to open 1NT with a good 14 or a poor 18.

- Upgrade for good long (5+) suits and for tens (generally ½ a point) and good intermediates.

Dave’s Column Here is Dave’s first input, this time on bidding.

West East West North East South

♠ K9 ♠ AQJ1042 - - - pass

♥ AQ5 ♥ 643 pass pass 1♠ pass

♦ QJ6 ♦ A 2NT pass 4♠ all pass

♣ 108743 ♣ A52

You are East, declarer in 4♠. South leads the ♥J to the ♥Q, ♥A, ♥3 and a ♥ is returned, won by dummy’s ♥A. How do you continue?

Dave’s Column answer Board 19 from Wednesday 31^st

Dealer: ♠ 75 Book Bidding

South ♥ K82 West North East South

E-W vul ♦ 109542 - - - pass

♣ KJ9 pass (1) pass 1♠ pass

2NT (2) pass 4♠ all pass

♠ K9 N ♠ AQJ1042

♥ AQ5 W E ♥ 643 (1) A 1♣ opening is a reasonable alternative.

♦ QJ6 S ♦ A (2) Natural (not Jacoby 2NT) by a passed hand.

♣ 108743 ♣ A52

♠ 863

♥ J1097 South leads the ♥J and your ♥Q looses to North’s ♥K,

♦ K873 a ♥ is returned, won by dummy’s ♥A. Plan the play.

♣ Q6

Declarer took the 2^nd ♥ with the ♥A and cashed all but one of his trumps. The defense failed to do anything silly and declarer eventually lost two ♥’s and two ♣’s for one down.

East succeeds with a loser-on-loser play. He takes the ♦A at trick three, leads a trump to dummy and runs the ♦Q, throwing his ♥ loser from hand. South wins but declarer ruffs the next ♥, leads a trump to dummy and discards a ♣ on the good ♦J.

Although in this era of lighter and lighter opening bids many experts would open the West hand. I (Frank Stewart) wouldn’t open because the long suit contains no high cards. Tricks, not points, are what matter, and it’s hard to establish tricks in a poor suit. Change the ♥AQ to the ♣AQ, and I’d be more inclined to open.

And what happened at the Pattaya bridge club? 3NT+1, 4♠= five times, 2♠+1, 4♠-1 and 6♠-2.

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

North South West North East South

♠ A108632 ♠ 9754 - 1♠ pass 2♠

♥ AQJ4 ♥ K62 dbl 3♥ pass 4♠

♦ 76 ♦ AQ3 dbl all pass

♣ 6 ♣ 843

You are North, declarer in 4♠ doubled. You have three top losers, two ♠’s (West has the ♠KQJ) and one ♣. You could take the ♦ finesse but it is unlikely to work based on West’s two doubles. Plan the play.

Dave’s 2^nd Column answer Board 23 from Wednesday 31^st

Dealer: ♠ A108632 Book Bidding

North ♥ AQJ4 West North East South

N-S vul ♦ 76 - 1♠ pass 2♠

♣ 6 dbl (1) 3♥ pass 4♠

dbl all pass

♠ KQJ N ♠ -

♥ 1097 W E ♥ 853 (1) I (Terry) see little point in doubling here

♦ KJ9 S ♦ 108542 with this totally flat hand and knowing that

♣ AKQJ ♣ 109752 partner is bust and I passed at the table,

♠ 9754 although I doubled the final 4♠ contract of

♥ K62 course.

♦ AQ3

♣ 843 East leads a ♣ taken with the ♣J and the ♠K is

returned. East discards a ♣, plan the play.

You have three top losers, two ♠’s and one ♣. You could take the ♦ finesse but it is unlikely to work based on West’s two doubles.

Instead, after winning the 2^nd ♠ trick, play a ♥ to dummy’s ♥K, ruff a ♣ in hand, and continue the ♥’s, discarding dummy’s last ♣ on the 4^th ♥. West may ruff but is endplayed, as he is if he refuses to ruff when you simply throw him in with a trump.

And what happened at the Pattaya bridge club? 4♠*=, 5♣*(E)-1, 5♣(E)-1, 5♠*-2, 5♠*-1 and 4♠*-1 four times.

I was West defending 4♠* but unfortunately declarer was Hans Vikman and he had no difficulty chalking up +790 for an outright top along the lines given after East led a ♣. Bad timing (wrong opponent for the wrong board).

.

Lead problem Board 4 from Wednesday 31^st

Dealer: ♠ 109862 West North East South

West ♥ 98 1NT pass 3NT all pass

both vul ♦ AQ932

♣ 7

You are North, on lead against 3NT.

N What do you lead – the ♠10 or a ♦?

W E

S

More bad timing Board 4 from Wednesday 31^st

Dealer: ♠ 109862 West North East South

West ♥ 98 1NT pass 3NT all pass

both vul ♦ AQ932

♣ 7

♠ KQ74 N ♠ J53

♥ K43 W E ♥ A102

♦ K104 S ♦ 65

♣ AQ9 ♣ KJ863

♠ A

♥ QJ765

♦ J87

♣ 10542

What did you lead in the lead quiz on the previous page? The ♠10 knowing that dummy has no 4-card major and with hopefully two ♦ entries? Or a text-book 4^th best ♦? I was declarer and this was simply another case of bad timing (wrong opponent for the wrong board). North stoically led a 4^th best ♦ and the contract was automatically one down. The ♠10 was led at most tables and 3NT+2 or 3NT+1 were popular scores depending upon whether South found a ♦ switch or not.

Even More bad timing Board 15 from Wednesday 31^st

Dealer: ♠ K42 West North East South

South ♥ 984 - - - pass

N-S vul ♦ Q76 1♠ pass 2NT (1) pass

♣ 10652 4♠ (2) all pass

♠ Q7653 N ♠ AJ108 (1) Jacoby 2NT

♥ 76 W E ♥ QJ32 (2) poor opener

♦ K94 S ♦ A53

♣ AKJ ♣ Q8

♠ 9

♥ AK105

♦ J1082

♣ 9743

So what’s the story here, 4♠+1 seems automatic, right? Wrong! Playing MUD leads from three small, North led the ♥9. I was West and played the ♥J from dummy and South won with the ♥K. The ♥A was continued and North played the ♥2. A third ♥ came and knowing that North had started with a doubleton ♥ I ensured the contract by ruffing with the ♠Q, North produced the ♥8, which was presumably mixed up with the ♦’s? It’s time to tackle trumps but I cannot afford to take the ♠ finesse because if it loses and North has the ♠9 then I am one down in a cold contract when South wins and leads another ♥. So I ensured the contract by playing to the ♠A and conceding a trick to the ♠K. This was another absolute bottom as every other declarer made 4♠+1. North apologized to his partner for leading the wrong card when playing MUD. So another excellent example of the wrong opponent for the wrong board.

Who should come in? Board 4 from Friday 2^nd

E-W got a bad score for letting North play in 3♣ when they cam make 4♥, who do you think should have bid?

Dealer: ♠ Q3 West North East(B) South

West ♥ 5 pass 3♣ pass (1) pass

Both vul ♦ QJ4 pass (2)

♣ KJ98753

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

♠ A742 N ♠ 109 week’s quiz? I agree with this pass, partner has

♥ QJ972 W E ♥ A8643 already passed and a 3♥ bid here with an

♦ K109 S ♦ A83 unlimited opponent to the left is reckless.

♣ 10 ♣ A62 (2) But West should bid here. It is the balancing

♠ KJ865 seat and he has near perfect shape for a take out

♥ K10 double (with 3♥ a less attractive 2^nd choice).

♦ 7652

♣ Q4

Bidding Quiz Answers

Hand A: 1NT. This hand is far too good to open 1♦ and rebid 1NT. With a great 5-card suit and three tens this hand is easily worth a strong 1NT, and the opening solves any rebid problems.

Hand B: Pass. To bid (3♥) in this position, vulnerable, with an unlimited opponent on your left, would be very reckless. And you do have a partner who hopefully understands balancing if LHO passes.

Bidding Sequence Quiz

C 1NT pass 2♦ pass This is up to partnership understanding. I believe that

2♥ pass 4NT ‘standard’ is that 4NT is quantitative and 4♣ ace asking.

D pass pass 1♥ pass 3♥ is game forcing, partner has a good 10+ and so if you

2♣ pass 3♥ good enough for a jump then there must be game values.