24 June - Board 1: Love All. Dealer North
North:
S 10 8 3
H 10 8 4
D J 9 3 2
C Q 10 4
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West:
S J 9 6 2
H A J 9 7 3
D 7 4
C 9 7
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East:
S A K Q 7
H K Q
D A K 8 6 5
C K 5
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South:
S 5 4
H 6 5 2
D Q 10
C A J 8 6 3 2
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North East South West
No 2C No 2H
No 3D No 3S
No 4NT No 5D
No 6NT All Pass
The positive response of 2H is certainly pushing the boat out and after a series of natural bids the spade suit was found but with one concern, namely that the weaker hand would be the declarer. With the ace of clubs almost certainly missing Nick didn’t fancy his partner receiving a club lead through the king and took out insurance by bidding 6NT. This apparently made but I am not sure why. I can only imagine that South cashed the ace of clubs at trick one, or led a low card in that suit. That seems like a bad error to me for surely East has the clubs guarded. Anyway the outcome proved a lucky escape as 6S by East is cold. Declarer can just draw trumps in three rounds, discard both clubs on the heart suit and ruff a club in hand. He will come to five trump tricks, five hearts and the top two diamonds. And of course if West starts off with a negative 2D then it will be East who introduces the spade suit first.
Hi Dave,
ReplyDeleteCould you clarify the bit about finding the spade suit please? I'm afraid we only got to 3N because we didn't. Our bidding was 2D by E, 2H by W, 3D by E, 3N by E. Should I as East have bid 2S before 3D to ensure a major fit was found? And if so would that only promise 4 at that stage? Thanks, Robin
I am a firm believer in giving a negative response to Acol's strongest bid whether that be 2C or the Benji 2D. So I wonder what Keith's 2H bid was? Was it just a relay or showing a suit? If it was a relay then over 3D he should bid 3H to show the suit whereupon you can bid 3S.He would raise to game and then you might feel tempted to carry on. If 2H was meant as a suit then over 3D he can bid 3S to show a second suit. Then you arrive at the problem that Nick A found - namely that the weaker hand would be declarer. I think there is something wrong in your comment though because I think you mean that it was West who bid 3NT, not East. I cannot see why West wouldn't want to bid both suits though.
ReplyDelete2H would have been a negative/relay from Keith. And yes, I meant West bid 3N, sorry.
ReplyDeleteOne other thought. If it was indeed West who bid 3NT was the contract made? On a club lead this would seem unlikely.
ReplyDeleteI think I'll have to give this game up - my brain cells are dying faster than I can cope with. On further thinking I believe Graham (South) over called 3C after my 2D, then Keith and Stewart passed, so I called 3N knowing lead would be towards my King. That's why we didn't get any spades mentioned. I expect the current champion will put me right if I have still "mis-spoken!!"
ReplyDeleteI see! Well anyway it seems to me that West is being a bit wet here. Couldn't he double to show some values? Then you could bid 3D, and then 3S over his 3H bid. But you could/should have bid 3D anyway. Remember you are in a game-forcing situation and softly softly is often the best approach.
ReplyDeleteIn our case it went
ReplyDelete2D-2H-3D-3H-4NT-5D-5H
so we too missed out on the spades (I must admit I did expect 6 hearts, with west although on reflection now I am not sure why).
I know how that can happen. When people use a suit conventionally and then bid it naturally it looks as though they are emphasizing that suit when of course they are not.
ReplyDelete