14th April – Board 23: Game All. Dealer South.
Grand slams are notoriously difficult to bid because there is no margin for error and the potential loss if it fails to make is horrendous. Nevertheless if you have absolute trust in partner – and who doesn’t! – then just maybe an in-form N/S pair might get there by the route shown below.
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West
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North
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East
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South
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No
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No
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1C
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1H
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2D
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3H
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3S
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No
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5C
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No
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5H
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No
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6/7C?
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End
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South might consider raising clubs at his first turn I suppose by bidding 2H – this shows a good raise, 3C shows a weak, preemptive raise – but I think the hand is too good for that with its seven losers and good diamond suit, so I can see no harm in bidding what you have. Again West might consider bashing 4H as a barrage but it seems a little rich vulnerable and in any event would cost a fortune if doubled. North would introduce his second suit, forcing of course, and now South should come clean about his positive club support by advancing to game. (The fact that he has three hearts has improved his hand enormously of course because now partner is marked with acute shortage there.) Now the 5H bid by North is clearly a grand slam try because the partnership is committed to the six-level by now, and I guess it’s just a question of how much faith you have in partner and your own judgement. With a singleton and a good source of tricks in diamonds South should probably go all the way, but I know I would think about it for a long time – to add weight to the post mortem – and just bid six.
Playing variable no-trump, if I'd opened 1C partner would alert, then after the 1H overcall what would South bid? Double - so that (as far as South is concerned) North could still bid 1N if allowed by West? And then would North's rebid be 2C (eschewing 1N - I really wanted to use that word) as a game forcing bid or 2S if West didn't bid? Or would partner bid 2D anyway over the 1H overcall? Je suis confused.
ReplyDeleteIf you were concerned that partner had a weak no-trump hand and had opened a prepared club then it still would not be in order to double the 1H overcall as you would still be showing a four card spade suit. You would have to bid 2D but with the understanding that 2NT by opener would now be weak, the same as if he had rebid 1NT over 1D without interference. I agree the overcall does cause extra worries in this situation but on the hand that occurred they are groundless.
ReplyDeleteIsn't North taking a big risk bidding just 1C? He only needs South to have the Qxx of spades and maybe the Jx of clubs to have an easy game in spades, but South would pass with just that holding leaving him in 1C unless the opponents overcalled. Or is North counting on his red-suit shortages implying that the opponents are highly likely to intervene in one of those suits, enabling him to make some sort of near-forcing reopen if necessary?
ReplyDeleteYes Bill. 1C as a contract just does not exist any more, especially in these 'bid at all cost' days. Somebody, somewhere, is going to bid hearts giving North re-entry into the auction. The trouble with opening 2C is that over a 2D reply you have to then bid 3C which is getting too high too soon. Open 1C intending to rebid 2S - game forcing - over any red suit from partner and you have achieved much more at a lower level.
ReplyDeleteHmmm ... this now makes NOT overcalling 1C an interesting and possibly attractive prospect ...
ReplyDeleteI see what you mean but the truth is you can never be sure that the hand doesn't belong to you. Partner might be very irate - not Joan of course - if the opposition played in 1C when your side could make 4H. We are all programmed to bid whenever we feel there is a sporting chance that we can either buy the auction or get in the way of the opposition's.
ReplyDelete