Our website is www.pattayabridge.com                           Club News Sheet – No. 368

Our blogsite is www.pattayabridge.wordpress.com                                 

My home phone is 038 422924 and my mobile number is 083 6066880              29th Nov 2009

It is best to use my home number to contact me unless I am at the bridge club.

My e-mail is terry@pattayabridge.com or pattayabridge@yahoo.com

My MSN messenger ID is tj_quested@hotmail.com

       
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Mon 23rd  N-S   1st  Alan K & Jan                 62%       2nd    Janne & Paul Q                      61%

                E-W   1st  Gerry C & Ian W           58%       2nd    Alan P & Terry Q                   53%

Wed 25th N-S   1st  Frode & Robbie             60%       2nd    Jean-Charles & Georges         52%

                E-W   1st  Hans v & Royd              68%       2nd    Gutorm & Ivy                         60%          

Fri  27th    N-S   1st  Eddie & Olaf                  60%       2nd    Janne & Lars B                      58%

                E-W   1st  Dave C & Tomas           66%       2nd    Terje Loee & Jan                   58%

 

 

Bidding Quiz                    Standard American bidding is assumed unless otherwise stated.

 

Hand A           Hand B           With Hand A it’s favourable vulnerability. Partner opens 1 and RHO overcalls 1, what do you do?

KJ5              AQJ83

KJ1052        85                 With Hand B it’s unfavourable vulnerability, partner opens 1.

654               Q75              (a) what do you bid? (b) suppose you choose 3 and LHO bids

A3                532              4 which is passed to you, what do you do now?       

     
Ron Klinger web site
     
 

 

Current club championship standings

 

 

Gold Cup = Best 30

Silver Plate = Best 10

Bronze Medal = Best 5

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

1949.2 Janne Roos

1931.1 Hans Vikman

1896.1 Paul Quodomine

1804.7 Sally Watson

1752.5 Lars Broman

1741.6 Ivy Schlageter

1725.8 Bob Short

1725.1 Paul Scully

1721.4 Bob Pelletier

690.6 Janne Roos

686.1 Hans Vikman

659.8 Paul Quodomine

636.6 Sally Watson

631.2 Per-Ake Roskvist

625.4 Jeremy Watson

625.0 Per Andersson

623.3 Lars Broman

622.6 Guttorm Lonborg

621.2 Ivy Schlageter

355.2 Janne Roos

351.7 Hans Vikman

337.1 Paul Quodomine

332.6 Per-Ake Roskvist

329.8 Per Andersson

326.0 Sally Watson

325.4 Jeremy Watson

325.3 Ivy Schlageter

321.7 Bob Short

321.5 Lars Broman

 

Swiss teams of 4 – Sun 13th Dec  6p.m.

 

Alan Purdy is organizing a Swiss teams event on Sun 13th, this event is not associated with the Pattaya bridge club and all are welcome. Details are:

Location: The Bowling Green, Soy X-Zyte

Entry fee only 600bht per team

Please inform Alan if you wish to enter a team. If you are a pair and need team-mates, or if you are an individual, please contact Alan Purdy:

Tel 0800491427  e-mail alan@gomy.co.uk


Obey the Law?                                                     Board 22 from Wednesday 18th  

 

… it’s usually best to obey The Law, but there are exceptions:

 

Dealer:             7                                                 Table A

North               J632                                           West(B)     North         East          South

Both vul            KJ96                                          -                 pass           1            dbl   (1)

                        Q1096                                       4    (2)      all pass      

                       

AQJ83                N               K109652            Table B

85                   W    E            Q74                   West(B)     North         East          South

Q75                    S                A108                 -                 pass           1            dbl   (1)

532                                      K                       3    (2)      4              pass         pass

4                                                 pass (3)

AK109                                      

432                                           

AJ874                                       

 

Table A:     (1)  This dbl looks right to me, the suit could be better but I think that dbl is better than a 2 overcall when the ’s may get lost.

                  (2) What did you bid with this West hand B(a) in this week’s quiz? This direct 4 is not ‘wrong’ and obeys The LAW ot Total tricks but, especially at this vulnerability, I would prefer to have a singleton/void...

Table B:     (2)  … so 3 is my answer to question B(a).

(3) What did you bid with this West hand B(b) in this week’s quiz? 4 here would definitely be wrong (if you want to bid 4 then you should have done it last go). No, just pass and hope that your 3 bid pushed them into an unmakeable contract.

 

And what happened? 5-2, 4*-1, 4-1 three times, 4-1, 3= and 5*-3.

The bottom line:

-         Decide how high you want to pre-empt - 3 or 4 at (1) here – and do not bid again.

-         If partner opens and RHO doubles, then any raise by you is pre-emptive. If you have a sound raise to 3 or more of partner’s suit, then bid the Jordan 2NT.


An ‘automatic’ re-opening double?                     Board 21 from Monday 23rd   

 

When playing negative doubles, remember the ‘automatic’ re-opening double in case partner has a penalty hand. But there are exceptions when you should not re-open with a double:

 

Dealer:             982                                             West(A)     North         East          South

North               76                                               -                 pass           1           1

N-S vul            K9832                                        pass (1)      pass           2    (2)    pass

                        J86                                             3NT           pass           6   (3)    all pass

                       

KJ5                    N               AQ63           (1)  What did you bid with this West hand A in this       

KJ1052          W    E            -                        week’s quiz? 3NT is possible but at this

654                     S                A7                     vulnerability it’s surely best to pass and then

A3                                        KQ107542        pass partner’s ‘automatic’ re-opening double.

1074                                     (2)  But this East hand is totally unsuitable for a

AQ9843                                     re-opening double, and this 2 cue bid is fine.

QJ10                                     (3)  Partner has shown about opening values with

9                                                good ’s and this bid is also fine.

 

And what happened? 6= three times, 5=, 3NT+3 twice, 4+2 and 2*-2.

The bottom line:

-         There are exceptions when you should not re-open with a double, see the negative doubles page in the conventions section of the website.

 

 

 

Dave’s Column           Here is Dave’s first input on the play of the hand.

 

North               South                           West            North         East          South

A8                Q95                          -                   -                 -               1

KQJ8           A1096                      pass             1              pass         3

Q762            A                              pass             3  (1)        pass         4NT (2)

J85               AK742                     pass             5  (3)        pass         6     

                                                            all pass

 

(1)   Cue bid, interested in slam.

(2)   RKCB for ’s.

(3)   Two keycards and the Q.

 

You are North, declarer in 6. East leads the J, plan the play assuming normal breaks      

 


Dave’s Column answer                      Board 19 from Wednesday 25th  

     

Dealer:             A8                                              Book bidding

South               KQJ8                                         West          North         East            South

E-W vul           Q762                                         -                 -                 -                 1

                        J85                                             pass           1              pass           3

pass           3    (1)      pass           4NT   (2)

pass           5    (3)      pass           6                   

K1063                N             J742                    all pass

75                   W    E          432                

K8543                S              J109              (1)  Cue bid – interested in slam

63                                      Q109             (2)  RKCB for ’s   

                        Q95                                      (3)  2 keycards + Q

A1096                            .          

A                                    East leads the J, do you see a way to make the

AK742                             contract with normal breaks? 

 

In his classic gem “Why You Lose at Bridge”, S.J. Simon introduced the theory of ‘half a loaf’. His Philosophy suggested bidding to the maximum opposite a competent partner, but settling for half a loaf opposite a less competent one.

An average declarer takes dummy’s A and counts possible winners. He recognizes that he lacks the entries to score enough ruffs in dummy, so he tries to bring in dummy’s suit.

He cashes two trumps and dummy’s top ’s, hoping to drop the Q. When it doesn’t fall, North’s chances approach zero. He concedes a to East’s Q and East leads a third trump; North is limited to eleven tricks.

A more competent North counts on 4 winners. The A and A, four trump winners and two ruffs in dummy.

At trick two he leads a low from dummy. East’s Q wins but East has no effective response. If East returns a (nothing else is better) then dummy wins and two ’s are ruffed high, using the trump suit for communication. Then he leads a to his A to draw the last trump and uses his last to reach dummy’s good ’s.

The winning line depends upon finding a 3-2 break (68%), while dropping a doubleton Q is only 27%. Opposite a declarer who can recognize the difference, bid the slam. Opposite one that cannot, settle for game – half the loaf.

 

And what happened at the Pattaya bridge club? 7NT-2, 6-2, 4+2 twice, 4+1 three times.

 

Dave’s 2nd Column   Here is Dave’s second problem on the play of the hand.

 

West                East                              West            North         East          South

AJ9542         3                               1                pass           3    (1)    pass

Q7                AKJ10985               4      (2)      pass           4NT         pass

J63                AK4                        5                pass           6            pass

KJ                A10                          pass             dbl   (3)      all pass

 

(1)  strong         (2)  promising a honour    (3) A Lightner double – presumably a void.

 

You are East, South leads the K, plan the play.


Dave’s 2nd Column answer              Board 20 from Wednesday 25th

 

Dealer:             -                                                 Book Bidding

West                6322                                           West          North         East            South

both vul            Q1098                                       1              pass           3    (1)      pass

                        Q98642                                     4    (2)      pass           4NT           pass

AJ9542               N             3                           pass           dbl     (3)    all pass

Q7                  W    E          AKJ10985          

J63                      S              AK4              (1)  Playing strong jump shifts     

KJ                                      A10                (2)  Apparently promising an honour   

KQ10876                             (3)  A Lightner Double – asking for a lead.    

4                                    

752                                 South leads the K, plan the play     

753                                     

 

This North, an enterprising player, doubled East’s slam in spite of the power auction. His Double was a Lightner Double, directing the opening lead. A Lightner double forbids the lead of  a trump or a suit bid by the defenders. Basically, the double asks for an unusual lead. It is often the first suit bid by dummy.

Although well-intentioned, North’s double has backfired. Instead of guiding South’s lead, it alerted East to the winning line of play.

When South led his K, an unsuspecting East would have played the A, North would have ruffed, and the slam would have gone one down. East would have had no place to park his losing .

However, North’s Lightner double should tell East that dummy’s A will be ruffed. Therefore, instead of covering the K, he allows South to hold the trick. After that, the defence can do nothing. East can over-ruff a continuation and after having drawn trumps he can discard his losing on the preserved A.

Dave Comment: 6NT is on ice.

 

And what happened at the Pattaya bridge club? 7NT-1, 7*-2, 6NT=, 6=twice, 6-1 and 4+2.

 

 

 

 

 

Play Problem               Here is a fairly easy play problem that three people got wrong.

 

West                East                  You are West, declarer in 6NT with no opposition bidding.

KQ9             A764            North leads the 3. It’s pairs so an over-trick is important if     

KQJ8           A64              there is one. So plan the play for the best chance of an

Q96              AJ                over-trick without jeopardizing the contract.       

A84              KQ53                                 

                         

                        .


Play Problem answer                          Board 24 from Monday 23rd

 

Dealer:             J82                                             Bidding

West                10753                                         West          North         East            South

Love all            K1054                                        1NT           pass           6NT (1)      all pass

                        J6                                              

 

KQ9                   N             A764                   

KQJ8             W    E          A64          (1)  This is better than 2, looking for a fit, as

Q96                    S              AJ                   there are almost certainly 12 tricks in 6 or 6NT

A84                                    KQ53                         

1053                                          

92                 North leads the 3. It’s pairs so an over-trick is important if there

8732            is one. So plan the play for the best chance of an over-trick

10972          without jeopardizing the contract.

 

You have eleven top ticks and extra chances in ’s and either black suit splitting 3-3, so what should you try first?

Your first priority is to secure your contract and so you should win in hand with the K and play a to the J. If this loses, you claim the remainder. If the finesse wins, you look for an overtrick by testing both black suits and if either splits 3-3 you have 13 tricks.

And what happened? 6NT+1 five times and 6NT= three times. So it looks like three out of eight did not find the best play.

 

 

 

 

Bidding Quiz Answers

 

Hand A:    Pass, and pass partner’s expected re-opening double and collect a juicy vulnerable penalty.

Hand B:    (a)  3. According to the LAW it’s 4, but I would prefer to have a singleton or void, especially at this vulnerability. However, with all of the points in ’s I would not argue with 4.

(b)  pass. Do not bid again having pre-empted (your raise was a pre-empt after the double). Hopefully your 3 bid has pushed them too high and you will set them. If you think that 4 is right, then you should have bid it last go.

       
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