Our website is www.pattayabridge.com                       Club News Sheet – No. 478
Our blogsite is www.pattayabridge.wordpress.com                                    
My mobile phone number is 083 6066880                                                            15th Jan 2012
My e-mail is terry@pattayabridge.com or pattayabridge@yahoo.com
My Windows Live Messenger is tj_quested@hotmail.com

Mon 9th    N-S      1st   Jean & Olaf                    60%            2nd  Tomas & Lars B             50%
                 E-W     1st   Bob S & Sigurd             63%            2nd  Dave H & Gus               59%
Wed 11th  N-S      1st   Sean & Jeremy               66%            2nd  Dave H & Tomas           60%
                 E-W     1st   Gerard & Derek             64%            2nd  Frode & Olaf                 58%
Fri 13th     N-S      1st  Paul Q & Hans V           64%            2nd Tomas & Phil                 56%

 

Bidding Quiz          Standard American (short ♣) bidding is assumed unless otherwise stated.

 

Hand A           Hand B           What do you open with hand A?
                                               
♠ AK82           ♠ A9             
♥ A1083          ♥ AQJ5           With Hand B you open 1NT in 3rd seat. This is passed to RHO
♦ AQ52           ♦ KQ85           who bids 2♥, what do you do?                
♣ A                 ♣ J102            

 

Dave’s Column

♠ AK82                 N                                    West         North         East           South
♥ A1083            W    E                                 1♦             pass           1NT           pass  
♦ AQ52                 S                                     3NT          all pass
♣ A                                                                
                        ♠ 103                                    South leads ♣4, ♣A from dummy, ♣9 from North
                        ♥ KJ54                                 and ♣3 from East. The ♥3 is led from dummy. ♥6
                        ♦ J4                                       from North, and the ♥ 9from declarer; how should
                        ♣ Q10542                            South plan the defence?

 


Dave’s Column Answer                  Board 20 from Wednesday 11th Jan 
     
Dealer:             ♠ QJ95                                          Bidding            
West                ♥ 62                                               West(A)    North         East           South
both vul           ♦ 109873                                       1♦      (1)    pass           1NT           pass
                        ♣ K9                                             3NT           all pass      
                                                                                               
♠ AK82                 N             ♠ 764                 (1)  What did you open with this West Hand A in this
♥ A1083           W     E          ♥ Q97                    week’s quiz? Powerful 4441 hands are
♦ AQ52                 S              ♦ K6                        notoriously difficult to bid and West sensibly
♣ A                                       ♣ J8763                   opened 1♦. A reasonable alternative is 2NT.
                        ♠ 103                    
                        ♥ KJ54                             
                        ♦ J4                                   
                        ♣ Q10542                        

South leads ♣4, ♣A from dummy, ♣9 from North and ♣3 from East. The ♥3 is led from dummy. ♥6 from North, and the ♥9 from declarer; how should South plan the defence?

In practice South took the ♥9 with the ♥J and continued ♣’s. North took the ♣K and shifted to ♠’s. Declarer won in dummy, came to hand with the ♦K and led the ♥Q. Declarer could not be prevented from getting two ♠ tricks, three ♥ tricks, three ♦’s and a ♣.

See what happens if South takes the ♥9 with the ♥K. If North has the ♥Q it would not matter and if East has the ♥Q the South’s ♥K is doomed. On regaining the lead declarer would assume that the ♥J was with North and take the ‘marked’ finesse with a ♥ to the ♥7 and he will only make two ♥ tricks and the defence prevails.

 

Dave’s 2nd Column

North               South                                       West                North               East             South
♠ 83                 ♠ AK72                                   -                       -                       -                  2♣
♥ K5                ♥ A643                                    pass                 2♦                    pass             2NT
♦ K10986        ♦ AQ                                       pass                 3NT                 all pass
♣ 9642            ♣ AJ5                                           
                         

You are South declarer in 3NT. West leads the ♥Q, plan the play.
Dave’s 2nd Column Answer           Board 23 from Wednesday 11th Jan 
     
Dealer:             ♠ 83                                               Bidding            
South               ♥ K5                                              West          North         East           South
Both vul          ♦ K10986                                      -                 -                 -                 2♣
                        ♣ 9642                                          pass           2♦              pass           2NT     (1)
                                                                              Pass           3NT           all pass
♠ J9                       N             ♠ Q10654               
♥ QJ108            W    E          ♥ 972                 (1)  22-24        
♦ J742                    S              ♦ 53                  
♣ K107                                 ♣ Q83              
                        ♠ AK72                                   Plan the play on the ♥Q lead.
                        ♥ A643                             
                        ♦ AQ                                
                        ♣ AJ5                               

South tried for the maximum score in today’s game and got burned. Declarer won with his ♥A, cashed the ♦AQ, crossed to dummy with the ♥K and led dummy’s ♦K. When the ♦’s did not split he scored -1 instead of the hoped for +1.
To assure the game declarer should overtake the ♦q with the ♦K at trick three. This gives up any chance of an overtrick but ensures the contract because of North’s solid ♦’s.


Bidding Quiz Answers  

Hand A:   1♦. 2nd choice 2NT. A 2NT opening is allowed with any singleton.
Hand B:    Double (penalties). This is board 15 from Wednesday. I rarely bid again after opening 1NT and most certainly never make a take-out double. So this double, sitting over the overcaller, is penalties the way I (and I believe most) play it. With everybody already having passed it’s almost certain that 2♥ is going down, and if you fail to double partner may find a disastrous 2♠ balancing bid.