21st April – Board 5: North/South Game. Dealer North.
Not all pairs reached absolute par on the featured hand but neither would they I suspect even in the World Championships, because getting decisions right at a high-level is notoriously difficult. Each one of the four players has an awkward decision at some stage of the auction so it is hard to compose a ‘correct’ auction. Nevertheless I think the following auction could not be criticized too harshly.
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West
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North
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East
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South
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1S
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No
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2S
| |
Dbl
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4S
|
No
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No
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Dbl
|
No
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5H
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5S
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Dbl
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End
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Do you see what I mean? I think it is right just to open 1S because a strong two, however it is bid, should contain good defensive values and that North hand fails to comply. Assuming East passes, and nobody under 21 would, how many spades should South bid? Impossible in my view to be dogmatic about it one way or another, but whatever action South takes West will double for take-out. North will certainly bid game and this will most likely run round to West who should double again. This is not a ‘hands off’ double but merely shows extra values and East should really bid 5H. (5H is actually laydown but some care has to be taken on the lead of the queen of clubs, because declarer must resist covering or North will get a third round ruff.) Anyway I think South should now take out insurance and bid one for the road, leaving West to make a third and final double. Tired but happy.
Wow, thanks for the compliment Dave ("Assuming East passes, and nobody under 21 would,..."). I bid 2H over North's 2C opener. Nicest thing anybody's said about me in years.
ReplyDeleteChris A.
Oh dear, please don't get carried away! It's one thing overcalling a big hand in an effort to mess up their communications (and because ones partner isn't likely to get too involved) and another thing altogether overcalling a suit bid at the one level when your partner might take you seriously. At the prevailing vulnerability those aforementioned young spotties would doubtless wade in with 3H, a weak jump overcall, but they wouldn't bid 2H. I don't actually mind that 3H bid, it's just that I'm a bit set in my ways and have long since left my spots behind. But I was there when you bid 2H over 2C Chris and I think that was just right. So there, I'm glad I made you happy.
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