Mon 30th 1st Nina & Robbie 63% 2nd Derek & Gerard 62%
Wed 1st 1st Hans & Janne 65% 2nd Sally & Tomas 58%
Fri 3rd 1st Derek & Gerard 63% 2nd Alan K & Janne 59%
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Bidding Quiz Standard
American bidding is assumed unless otherwise stated.
Hand A Hand B With Hand A it’s love all in 2nd seat, what do you open?
♠ - ♠ 96 With Hand B it’s love all in 1st seat.
♥ K96 ♥ K109863 (a) What do you open?
♦ 10 ♦ 4 (b) Suppose you open 2♥ and partner bids 3NT, what now?
♣
KQJ1087643 ♣ J653
Hand C Hand D With Hand C you open 1♣ in 4th seat and partner bids 2NT.
Do you accept with 3NT or not?
♠ KJ86 ♠ Q9
♥ AQ2 ♥ 93 With Hand D partner opens 1NT,
♦ 862 ♦ 1097432 (a) What do you bid?
♣
A76 ♣
A104 (b) What do you bid
if
Hand E Hand F With Hand E you open 1♠ and LHO overcalls 2♥. This is passed
to you, what do you do?
♠ AKQJ4 ♠ 83
♣
962 ♣ K754
G 4♠ 4NT
What
is 4NT over
 |
||
Pre-empt and bid again
Of course everybody knows not to do this; but here are two examples
from two weeks ago where two very experienced players did so!
Pre-empt and bid again? – part 1 Board 8 from Friday 20th
August
Dealer: ♠ - West North(A) East South
West ♥ K96 pass 4♣ (1) 4♥ (2) pass
Love all ♦ 10 pass 5♣ (3) dbl all
pass
♣
KQJ1087643
(1) What did you open with this North hand A in
♠ A1054 N ♠ KQ96 this
week’s quiz? 3♣, 4♣ or 5♣? It’s up to you
♠ J8732 (3) This is terrible!! ,
and from one of the club’s
♥
A72 better
players. The pre-empt has worked and
♦ 9653 East is declarer in a doomed 4♥ contract,
♣ 9 bidding
again converts a top into a bottom.
And what happened? East led the ♠K and so 5♣
is obviously one down. However, despite the fact that declarer had ruffed the
first round of ♠’s East discarded his ♥’s on the run of the ♣’s, grimly holding on to his ♠Q and declarer thus made 3 ♥ tricks and his contract.
Pre-empt and bid again? – part 2 Board 12 from Friday 20th
August
Dealer: ♠ 832 West(B) North East South
West ♥ 4 2♥ (1) pass 3NT pass
Love all ♦ KQ865 4♥ (2) pass pass dbl
♣
10987 all pass
♠ 96 N ♠ K1074 (1) What did you open
with this West hand B(a)
♠ AQJ5 think that 2♥
is fine.
♥
AQ752 (2) What did you bid with this West hand B(b)
♦ 10972 in this
week’s quiz? I can see no reason to
♣ - bid
here.
And what happened? 3NT may or may not have
made, but 4♥ doubled deservedly went minus two and scored
-300 for a complete bottom.
The bottom lines (for both examples):
-
Do not
pre-empt and then bid again, but pre-empt to the limit and then keep quiet.
-
In the
first, North presumably bid again because he was maximum for his opening? In
the second West presumably bid again because he was minimum for his opening? I
do not accept either of these excuses.
That wretched 4333 type shape yet again Board 2 from Wednesday 22nd Sept
Dealer: ♠ KJ86 West North(C) East South
East ♥ AQ2 - - pass pass
N-S vul ♦ 862 pass 1♣ pass 2NT
♣
A76 pass 3NT (2) all
pass
♠ 753 N ♠ A92 This bidding seems fairly
automatic for
♠ Q104 (1) What did
you bid with this North hand C in
♥
J43 this week’s quiz? You
generally need 14
♦ QJ7 points
to bid 3NT here, deduct a point for
♣ KQ94 4333
and this hand should probably pass.
And what happened? It’s a combined 25 points
with decent intermediates, so usually enough for game. But 3NT stood no chance
on a low ♦ lead and went two down. Why is that? You all
know the answer, 4333 sucks and two 4333’s opposite each other really suck. I
guess that South just about has his 2NT bid but North probably should not
accept.
The bottom line:
- Deduct a point for the terrible 4333 type shape.
Dave’s Column Here is Dave’s 1st problem on declarer play.
West East Bidding
♠ Q4 ♠ K West North East South
You are East, declarer in 4♥. South leads the ♦5 to the ♦J,
♦Q and you play the ♦4. North cashes the ♠A and plays another ♠. You win with the ♠Q and cash the ♥A. South plays the ♥J and North the ♥2. Plan the play.
Dave’s Column
Answer Board 10 from Wednesday 1st
Sept
Dealer: ♠ AJ9862 Bidding
East ♥
both vul ♦ Q98 - - 1♥ pass
♣
72 2NT (1) pass 4♥ (2) all
pass
♠ Q4 N ♠ K (1) Jacoby 2NT
♠ 10753 South leads the ♦5 to the ♦J,
♦Q and your ♦4.
♥
J North
cashes the ♠A and plays another ♠.
♦ K10752 You win with the ♠Q and cash the ♥A. South
♣ K108 plays
the ♥J and North the ♥2. Plan the play.
.
With two tricks lost already the contract
depends upon avoiding a ♣ loser. This is
possible if North has the ♣10x or if you can
endplay North when he holds a doubleton ♣
but not the king. As this seems slightly better odds, you start by crossing to
the ♦A and playing the ♣Q. When everybody follows low, ruff your last ♦, cash the ♣A and play a ♥. North will win the
♥K and give you a ruff and discard so the ♣ loser disappears.
If South covers the ♣Q, win the ♣A, play to the ♣J, run your last ♦ and exit with a trump to achieve the same
ending provided that you discarded a ♣
from hand on the ♠Q.
The defenders cannot defeat 4♥ after the opening lead provided that you play
carefully. It takes a ♥ lead or the
unlikely ♦K and a ♥
switch to do it.
And what happened at the Pattaya bridge club? 4♥=, 4♠*(N)-1,
5♥-2 twice, 4♥-2 and 4♥-1.
Dave’s 2nd
Column Here
is Dave’s 2nd problem, on defence.
North South Book
Bidding
♠ 5 ♠ A632 West North East South
♥ AKJ10 ♥
3 - - - 1♣
♦ J1098432 ♦ Q7 pass 1♦ pass 1♠
♣
A ♣ KQJ1095
pass 2♥ pass 3♣
pass 3NT all pass
You are North, declarer in 3NT. East leads the ♠Q. Plan the play.
Dave’s 2nd Column Answer Board
11 from Wednesday 1st September
Dealer: ♠ 5 Book Bidding
South ♥ AKJ10 West North East South
Love all ♦ J1098432 - - - 1♣
♣
A pass 1♦ pass 1♠
pass 2♥ pass 3♣
♠ K984 N ♠ QJ107 pass 3NT all
pass
♠ A632 start with the ♦AK and switch to a ♠) when you
♥
3 can
suffer in 3NT?
♦ Q7
♣ KQJ1095 East
leads the ♠Q; start suffering. What is your plan?
The solution. Duck the opening lead, and unless East is playing with
mirrors he will continue with another ♠.
You will then show some real class. You play the ♠A and discard the ♣A. You will then
wait for the applause. Even if none is forthcoming, cash six ♣’s, at least two ♥’s and the ♠A for nine tricks. You also have a hand to
write home about.
And what happened at the Pattaya bridge club? 6♦-1, 5♦=,
3NT=, 4♦+1, 3NT-1 and 2♥-1. Well done Janne, there’s no doubt at all that he has ‘real class’
(Eddie Kantar’s words) – bidding 3NT and playing as above. I have a postage
stamp for Janne.
Stopping low when partner’s 1NT is overcalled Board
4 from Friday 27th August
Dealer: ♠ 8653 Table A
West ♥ 4 West(D) North East South
both vul ♦ AJ6 pass pass 1NT 2♥
♣
QJ753 3♦ (1) pass 3NT all
pass
♠ Q9 N ♠ AKJ74 Lebensohl Auction
♠ 102 3♦ (2) all
pass
♥
KQJ7652
♦ K5
♣ 62
Lebensohl (1) This is the answer to question D(b) – the
Lebensohl 2NT. It demands that
Auction: partner
bids 3♣ …
(2) … and then a subsequent 3♦ bid is to play.
And what happened? 3NT went -1 for the only E-W
negative score, other results were 3♥*(S)-3,
4♦(W)+1 and 3♥(S)-1.
The botton lines:-
- The
Lebensohl convention is very under-rated. It is a great convention that,
including other things, caters for most hands where partner’s 1NT opening is
overcalled.
The re-opening double Board 2 from Friday
20th August
Dealer: ♠ 10962 Table A
East ♥ KQ10732 West(E) North East(F) South
N-S vul ♦ K 1♠ 2♥ pass pass
♣
AJ dbl (1) pass 2♠ (2) all
pass
♠ AKQJ4 N ♠ 83 Table B
♠ 75 pass pass 3♦ dbl
♥
86 all
pass
♦ AQ842
♣ Q1083
Table B: (2) But this East is a founder member of the
PaulQ/Janne philosophy for re-opening doubles, where partner’s double is
‘take-out’ and so I guess this 3♣
is the bid?
And what happened? 2♠-2, 2♠-1
twice and 3♦*-4
The botton lines:-
- It
is up to your partnership when you re-open with a double. There are detailed
discussions of this topic, with differing views, in news-sheets 402 and 404.
-
In my
opinion the re-opening double at (1) is clear – if you pass then on this deal 2♥ is making for a great score to N-S.
-
Given my
style (and I believe the majority style) for re-opening doubles playing negative doubles, East should
surely play at the two level in the known 5-2 ♠ fit rather than fishing at the three level.
Paul Q’s Column Mandatory False Cards – part 2
In news-sheet 400 we looked at a couple of defensive mandatory false cards giving declarer a losing option. But two can play at that game.
Dealer: ♠ xxx Bidding
North ♥ xx West North East South
♦ KQ - pass pass 1NT
♣
Q109xxx pass 3♣ (1) pass 3NT
all pass
♠ KQx N ♠ A10xxx
♠ Jx
♥
AQxx
♦ Axxx
♣ AJx
I first saw the above play ascribed to Italian
blue Team star Giorgio Belladonna who was playing in a team event more than 50
years ago. First, the auction: North’s 3♣
was aggressive, but at teams you must bid close games! I prefer to have
two of the top three honours in the suit but little outside.
The Play: The opening lead of a low ♥ by West went to East’s ♥J and Belladonna’s ACE! Upon surveying dummy he
could see that the fate of the contracthinged on the ♣ finesse with ♣’s no worse that 3-1. And if the finesse lost West could easily see that
after a ♦ to dummy the ♣ finesse losing then the best place to attack would be ♠’s. Belladonna traded a possible overtrick to
introduce an element of doubt: Had West’s partner begun with ♥QJxxx or the ♠A? Eventually he cashed the ♥K
and continued with the ♥10 to Belladonna’s ♥Q and 10 tricks rolled in. The contract was the
same at the other table, but South woodenly won the first trick with the ♥Q before crossing in ♦’s and finessing ♣’s. West could now clearly see that the only defense was to attack ♠’s and the contract went -2.
Is this applicable to matchpoints where you have
11 tricks by winning with the ♥Q and hoping that
the ♣ finesse works? I think it is if you would like
to record +630 against a strike of -200’s. West may be convinced that the hands
lay like this:
♠ xxx This is also a strong argument for the “Smith Echo”
♥ xx on
defense against NoTrump contracts. In that
♦ KQ case East
would play the ♦J on the ♦
lead to
♣
Q109xxx dummy (partner I
loved your lead) and small
otherwise. Belladonna’s charade would likely
have
♠ KQx N ♠ Jxx been exposed and West would
probably play the
♠ Axxx
♥
Ax
♦ Axxx
♣ AJx
The mandatory false card has no guarantee of
success, but it offers an opponent a losing option. Here is another example:
Dealer: ♠ Kx Bidding
North ♥ KQJ10xx West North East South
N-S vul ♦ KQ10xx 4♠ 4NT (1) pass 5NT (2)
♣
- pass 6♦ (3) pass 6♥ (4)
all pass
♠ AJ10xxxxx N ♠ x
♠ Q2
♥
Axxxx
♦ AJx
♣ Qxx
(1) 2-suited
take-out.
(2) please
bid your lowest minor.
(3) ♦’s and ♥’s.
(4) If
North had bid 6♣, South would bid 6♦, to play when North has both minors. With ♣’s and ♥’s
he corrects to 6♥.
South is a bit disappointed at the aceless
dummy, but fights on. The immediate problem is the impending ♠ ruff. North’s 4NT bid was ambitious but not
unreasonable.
The Play: West leads the ♠A and South drops the ♠Q! Now, is South ♠Q ♥Axxxxx ♦x ♣Axxxx in
pattern? Or is the hand more as shown? Can West be sure? The mandatory false
card creates a losing option.
<end of Paul’s column>
Bidding Quiz Answers
G 4♠ 4NT
This 4NT overcall
is best played as a strong two-suiter.
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 |
1894.9 Janne Roos 1892.7 Hans Vikman 1861.6 Paul Quodomine |
670.4 662.4 640.1 628.3 Sally Watson 627.0 Derek & Gerard 626.8 Tomas Wikman 619.8 Lars Broman 615.9 Jean Wissing 610.7 Johan Bratsburg 609.5 Paul Scully |
344.6 338.9 329.6 Tomas Wikman 327.5 Derek & Gerard 325.4 323.4 322.9 Lars Broman 320.3 Jean Wissing 319.5 Duplessy & Coutlet 316.0 Sigurd Zahl |
