Another Bridge Poser
WRONG DOUBLE
Holding the following hand last night I was about to pass, and convert my partners 'take out' double of the opening bid to a 'penalty' double, when there was an intervening bid.
KJ973
742
853
A4
My left hand opponent opened 1S and the bidding proceeded:---
1S * 2C NB
3H NB 3S *
Well, well, well. I was all prepared to defend 1S doubled and now I had the opportunity to defend 3S! I wielded the axe and doubled. However the opponents may as well have bid 4S!
The layout of the opponents hands was as follows:---
AQ1082
AKQ53
J74
------
65
6
K106
J1098765
And partner had:---
4
J1098
AQ92
KQ32
On a small spade lead declarer quickly wrapped up ten tricks via 3 heart tricks, 2 diamond tricks, 2 club ruffs using the diamonds as entries and the AQ10 of trumps. 3S doubled plus one was minus 930 and a complete bottom. Against such expert opposition I was glad to move to the next table.
John. C. Williams. 4th September. 2002.
Michaels Cue Bids.
An interesting example of the use of this bid turned up last Tuesday evening. My partner and I held the following hands:----
AQxxx
K
Q
Kxxxxx
J10xx
Qxx
Axxx
xx
After an opening bid of 1H on my left my partner bid 2H with the North hand. This was a Michaels Cue Bid and showed a hand of 7-13 points with a 5-5 distribution, one of the suits being spades. The bid allows one to describe the hand at a low level and often leads to either a game or a useful sacrifice. In this case it lead to both !!!
The bidding continued thus:----
1H 2H 3H 3S
NB 4S NB NB
NB
After my free bid of three spades, partner correctly valued his sixth club and good spades and bid the excellent game on minimal values. The contract only depends on finding either the spade K, or club A, with the opening bidder. However my luck had run out as my right hand opponent had them both, his only points, and the contract had to go one off. Nevertheless I was pleased with the result as our opponents can make 4H.
John C Williams 13th August 2002.
SPLINTERS
The following hand from last Tuesday's teams was a good hand for splinters.
NORTH
Jx
xxxxx
K
AQJxx
SOUTH
Q10xx
KQxxx
AQ10x
----
North opens the bidding with an 'anaemic' 1H and South has to decide how to bid the hand. Playing splinters an immediate bid of 4C shows a club singleton or void, good support for hearts, and an interest in slam. Probably a five or six loser hand. North has a weak opener and would be more interested if South's void or singleton had been in spades so simply bids 4H, which should be passed.
Without splinters it is more difficult and I suggest a delayed game raise bidding 1S or 2D and then 4H over north's 2C or 2H rebid. However if south had had a similar hand but with a spade void rather than a club void then a good slam would probably be missed.
I understand that there was a variety of results including 6H doubled (minus 2) on a heart lead to the A and then A and K spades cashed, and 5H doubled and redoubled (made plus 1) on a club lead. (Cash K diamonds then ruff a club and ditch north's 2 spades on A and Q of diamonds before leading KH.)
Even 4H is somewhat precarious on a spade lead. If AS and KS are cashed and a third spade played, then after the AH is driven out a fourth spade might be ruffed by the remaining JH. Fortunately on Tuesday the AJ of hearts was doubleton so no ruff was possible.
I am a recent convert to splinters in many situations. Of course you do have to give up Gerber (except directly over no trump bids.)
John C Williams. 19th June 2002.
GRAND SLAM
Did anyone bid this grand slam in clubs on Tuesday night? :---
10
Kx
Kxxx
Q108xxx
AQ9xxx
AQxx
---
AKx
Normally with a three loser hand I would open a Benjamin two diamonds but I felt that I could describe the hand better with a Benjamin two clubs. Partner bid two diamonds and the bidding proceeded as follows:---
2C-2D-
2S-3C-
3H-3NT-
5C-6C-
I felt I had given a good description of my distribution (but perhaps not my strength) and my partner recognizing that his second round controls in both majors would be helpful and that I almost certainly had a diamond void raised to six clubs. I made 6C+1 on a small diamond lead when the K spades fell in two rounds, and I was able to set up the spades.
At first sight 7C may not look attractive but there are many chances. With a reasonable 2-2 or 3-1 trump break it makes if the spades are 3-3, or the KS is doubleton, or if East holds 4 spades.
If I had of opened a Benjamin two diamonds the bidding may well have been similar, except that partner may have pushed to the Grand (perhaps via an eventual 5NT grand slam force).
John C Williams. 8th May 2002.
DUCKING REVISITED
In this years George Curtis Memorial Teams Trophy we bid the following hands to 3NT. :---
AKQ9x
xxx
J10x
Jx
10x
Axx
A9xxx
KQx
{Bidding 1S-2D-2S-3C-3D-3NT}
I received the K hearts lead, which I ducked, followed by the Q hearts.
Holding 6 hearts I decided to take the Q hearts and drive out the A clubs, hoping to find it with my right hand opponent. If he had no more hearts left then I hoped to make nine tricks via 5 spades, 2 clubs,1 heart and 1 diamond. Even if he had a heart left then they were breaking 4-3 and I would make the same nine tricks.
Well, he did have the A clubs and he did have a heart……..In fact he had all three missing hearts and proceeded to cash them to take me one off. The opening lead had been from KQ doubleton. The opponents hands were :---
Jxxx
KQ
Kxx
xxxx
xx
J10xxx
Qx
Axxx
I should have realized that, on our bidding, I was bound to get a heart lead whatever was held and should not so quickly have assumed that the length was with the opener. If I duck the Q hearts the opponents have to switch and then I have other options with the diamond suit. As they broke 3-2, with split honours, I would have made my contract via 3 spades, 2 clubs, 3 diamonds and a heart.
John. C. Williams. 13th April 2002.
