14th August – Board 16: East/West Game.
Dealer West.
If you are playing a
five-card Stayman enquiry after partner’s strong 2NT bid – and you certainly
should be – then it can be difficult to show as responder a hand containing
five spades and four hearts. There is of course a way though…
North:
S J 5 3
H 9 5 2
D 8 6 5 2
C 10 6 5
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West:
S A 10 9 6 2
H Q J 6 4
D Q 7
C 8 2
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East:
S K 8
H A K 7
D K J 9 3
C K Q 9 3
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South:
S Q 7 4
H 10 8 3
D A 10 4
C A J 7 4
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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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2C
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No
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2D
|
No
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2NT
|
No
|
3S*
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No
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3NT
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End
|
In
the hand above West would like to show five spades and four hearts but if he
transfers to spades by bidding 3H then what can he do when partner dutifully
bids 3S? He can’t bid 4H and if he bids 3NT partner will pass with a hand
containing just two spades and four hearts. Nor can he bid 3C, 5-card Stayman,
because if partner bids 3D denying a five card major then a bid of 3S by
responder either shows just four spades and denies four hearts or denies four
spades but shows four hearts depending on your methods. It would be nice to
know what to do and many players use a bid of 3S over the 2NT bid to show
precisely five spades and four hearts in a game-going hand, because 3S is a redundant
bid. Although I have to admit that some play the 3S bid as showing both minors
in a potential slam going hand…
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