Hard To Know

5^th April – Board 2: North/South Vul. Dealer East.

Some hands are impossible to get right with any sense of real conviction and that was certainly the case with the hand featured below. Everybody who bid a slam – and there were lots of those – got away with it even though there were two cashing tricks for the defence.

West	North	East	South
		1H	2D
3D	4D	4H	No
5D	No	5H	End

I submit the above auction with no real conviction but nevertheless there are several points of interest. Firstly, after an overcall, Jacoby 2NT should be dispensed with, for the very good reason that the chances of a slam are now minimised and a natural 2NT might be the only good bid available. To show good support for partner to the three-level or beyond just cue-bid the opponent’s suit, which frees up a direct raise as being largely pre-emptive. So here 3D is forcing to at least 3H. It’s what to do after partner bids 4H that causes the most anguish for it would be feeble to pass, with partner having at most three points in the red suits. What about 4NT? I really hate that because you still have no idea what to do if partner shows two or even three key cards. On the hand above give opener the king of clubs and 6H is lay-down and he won’t tell you that if you bid the Old Black. Or he can have AJxx in both black suits with the king of hearts as well and there would probably be two inescapable losers. So I am drawn to the conclusion that you have to cue-bid 5D, thereby denying first round control in both black suits and hope that partner can act correctly on that information. Of course this would almost certainly lead to the defence getting it right by leading a club but sometimes virtue has to be its own reward. Along with losing a load of imps when they bid and make 6H in the other room, but with less sophistication!