Our website is www.pattayabridge.com                           Club News Sheet – No. 408

Our blogsite is www.pattayabridge.wordpress.com                                 

My mobile phone number is 083 6066880                                                          5th Sept 2010

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Bidding Quiz                    Standard American bidding is assumed unless otherwise stated.

 

Hand A                 Hand B           With Hand A it’s love all in 2nd seat, what do you open?

 

-                         96                 With Hand B it’s love all in 1st seat.      

K96                    K109863      (a) What do you open?

10                       4                   (b) Suppose you open 2 and partner bids 3NT, what now?

KQJ1087643     J653            

 

 

Hand C           Hand D           With Hand C you open 1 in 4th seat and partner bids 2NT.

Do you accept with 3NT or not?

KJ86            Q9

AQ2             93                 With Hand D partner opens 1NT,

862               1097432       (a)  What do you bid?

A76              A104            (b)  What do you bid if RHO overcalls a natural 2?

 

 

Hand E            Hand F            With Hand E you open 1 and LHO overcalls 2. This is passed

to you, what do you do?

AKQJ4         83                

AJ                954               With Hand F partner opens 1 and RHO overcalls 2. You pass

J97                10653          and partner re-opens with a double, what do you bid?

962              K754          

 

 

Bidding Sequence Quiz

 

G     4      4NT                      What is 4NT over RHO’s 4 opening?

     
Ron Klinger web site
     
 

Pre-empt and bid again                                 

 

Of course everybody knows not to do this; but here are two examples from two weeks ago where two very experienced players did so!

 

Pre-empt and bid again? – part 1                  Board 8 from Friday 20th August

 

Dealer:             -                                                 West          North(A)    East            South

West                K96                                            pass           4   (1)      4    (2)      pass

Love all            10                                               pass           5   (3)      dbl             all pass

                        KQJ1087643                            

(1)  What did you open with this North hand A in

A1054                N             KQ96                   this week’s quiz? 3, 4 or 5? It’s up to you

54                   W    E          QJ1083                but the one bid I don’t like out of these is 4.

KQ8743             S              AJ                        If you decide to go past 3NT then open 5.

5                                         A2                 (2)  dbl would work out better here. 

                        J8732                                    (3)  This is terrible!! , and from one of the club’s           

A72                                            better players. The pre-empt has worked and

9653                                          East is declarer in a doomed 4 contract,

9                                                bidding again converts a top into a bottom.

 

And what happened? East led the K and so 5 is obviously one down. However, despite the fact that declarer had ruffed the first round of ’s East discarded his ’s on the run of the ’s, grimly holding on to his Q and declarer thus made 3 tricks and his contract.

 

Pre-empt and bid again? – part 2                  Board 12 from Friday 20th August

 

Dealer:             832                                             West(B)     North         East            South

West                4                                                 2    (1)      pass           3NT           pass

Love all            KQ865                                       4    (2)      pass           pass           dbl

                        10987                                        all pass

           

96                       N             K1074            (1)  What did you open with this West hand B(a)          

K109863        W    E          J                           in this week’s quiz? It’s just 4 points and only

4                         S              AJ3                     14 for the Australian rule of 14/15 for pre-

J653                                   AKQ42               empts, but with the superb intermediates I

                        AQJ5                                         think that 2 is fine.

AQ752                                 (2)  What did you bid with this West hand B(b)

10972                                         in this week’s quiz? I can see no reason to

-                                                 bid here.

 

And what happened? 3NT may or may not have made, but 4 doubled deservedly went minus two and scored -300 for a complete bottom.

 

The bottom lines (for both examples):

-         Do not pre-empt and then bid again, but pre-empt to the limit and then keep quiet.

-         In the first, North presumably bid again because he was maximum for his opening? In the second West presumably bid again because he was minimum for his opening? I do not accept either of these excuses.


 

That wretched 4333 type shape yet again          Board 2 from Wednesday 22nd Sept

 

Dealer:             KJ86                                          West          North(C)    East            South

East                  AQ2                                           -                 -                 pass           pass

N-S vul            862                                             pass           1             pass           2NT

                        A76                                            pass           3NT (2)      all pass

 

753                     N             A92                      This bidding seems fairly automatic for

95                   W    E          K10876                those who do not realize how bad the 4333

AK1043             S              85                        type shape is.

J108                                   532               

                        Q104                                    (1)  What did you bid with this North hand C in

J43                                             this week’s quiz? You generally need 14

QJ7                                             points to bid 3NT here, deduct a point for

KQ94                                        4333 and this hand should probably pass.

 

And what happened? It’s a combined 25 points with decent intermediates, so usually enough for game. But 3NT stood no chance on a low lead and went two down. Why is that? You all know the answer, 4333 sucks and two 4333’s opposite each other really suck. I guess that South just about has his 2NT bid but North probably should not accept.

The bottom line:

-     Deduct a point for the terrible 4333 type shape.

 

 

 

Dave’s  Column                                 Here is Dave’s 1st problem on declarer play.

 

West                East                                          Bidding

Q4                K                                          West                North         East            South

A10983        Q7654                                  pass                 pass           1              pass

J3                  A64                                      2NT                 pass           4              all pass      

A963            QJ54         

 

You are East, declarer in 4. South leads the 5 to the J, Q and you play the 4. North cashes the A and plays another . You win with the Q and cash the A. South plays the J and North the 2. Plan the play.

 


Dave’s Column Answer              Board 10 from Wednesday 1st Sept

     

Dealer:             AJ9862                                       Bidding

East                  K2                                              West          North         East            South

both vul            Q98                                           -                 -                 1              pass

                        72                                              2NT (1)      pass           4    (2)      all pass

 

Q4                      N             K                    (1)  Jacoby 2NT      

A10983          W    E          Q7654            (2)  minimum opener, this hand is unsuitable for

J3                        S              A64                      showing shortage with 3.

A963                                  QJ54             

                        10753                                   South leads the 5 to the J, Q and your 4.

J                                           North cashes the A and plays another . 

K10752                               You win with the Q and cash the A. South

K108                                   plays the J and North the 2. Plan the play.

 

.

With two tricks lost already the contract depends upon avoiding a loser. This is possible if North has the 10x or if you can endplay North when he holds a doubleton but not the king. As this seems slightly better odds, you start by crossing to the A and playing the Q. When everybody follows low, ruff your last , cash the A and play a . North will win the K and give you a ruff and discard so the loser disappears.

If South covers the Q, win the A, play to the J, run your last and exit with a trump to achieve the same ending provided that you discarded a from hand on the Q.

The defenders cannot defeat 4 after the opening lead provided that you play carefully. It takes a lead or the unlikely K and a switch to do it.

 

And what happened at the Pattaya bridge club? 4=, 4*(N)-1, 5-2 twice, 4-2 and 4-1.

 

 

Dave’s 2nd Column                       Here is Dave’s 2nd problem, on defence.

 

North               South                                       Book Bidding

5                   A632                                    West       North        East            South

AKJ10         3                                          -               -               -                 1

J1098432      Q7                                      pass         1            pass           1

A                  KQJ1095                            pass         2            pass           3

pass         3NT         all pass

 

You are North, declarer in 3NT. East leads the Q.  Plan the play.


Dave’s 2nd Column Answer
            Board 11 from Wednesday 1st September

 

     

Dealer:             5                                                 Book Bidding

South               AKJ10                                       West          North         East            South

Love all            J1098432                                    -                 -                -                1

                        A                                                pass           1              pass           1   

pass           2              pass           3

K984                  N             QJ107                  pass           3NT           all pass

98642             W    E          Q75               

A5                      S              K6               North might have rebid his 7-card suit, but who

87                                      6432            wants to play in a near laydown 5 (unless they

                        A632                                 start with the AK and switch to a ) when you

3                                        can suffer in 3NT?     

Q7                             

KQJ1095                   East leads the Q; start suffering. What is your plan?

 

The solution. Duck the opening lead, and unless East is playing with mirrors he will continue with another . You will then show some real class. You play the A and discard the A. You will then wait for the applause. Even if none is forthcoming, cash six ’s, at least two ’s and the A for nine tricks. You also have a hand to write home about.

 

 

And what happened at the Pattaya bridge club? 6-1, 5=, 3NT=, 4+1, 3NT-1 and 2-1. Well done Janne, there’s no doubt at all that he has ‘real class’ (Eddie Kantar’s words) – bidding 3NT and playing as above. I have a postage stamp for Janne.

 


Stopping low when partner’s 1NT is overcalled    Board 4 from Friday 27th August

 

Dealer:             8653                                           Table A

West                4                                                 West(D)     North         East            South

both vul            AJ6                                             pass           pass           1NT           2

                        QJ753                                        3    (1)     pass           3NT           all pass

 

Q9                      N             AKJ74                  Lebensohl Auction

93                   W    E          A108                    West(D)     North         East            South

1097432             S              Q8                       pass           pass           1NT           2

A104                                  K98                    2NT (1)      pass           3             pass

                        102                                            3    (2)      all pass

KQJ7652                                  

K5                                         

62

 

 

Table A:     (1)  What did you bid with this West hand D(b) in this week’s quiz? West can be fairly sure that 3 is making but unfortunately 3 here is generally played as forcing.

Lebensohl   (1)  This is the answer to question D(b) – the Lebensohl 2NT. It demands that

Auction:            partner bids 3

(2)   … and then a subsequent 3 bid is to play.                                 

 

And what happened? 3NT went -1 for the only E-W negative score, other results were 3*(S)-3, 4(W)+1 and 3(S)-1.

The botton lines:-

-     The Lebensohl convention is very under-rated. It is a great convention that, including other things, caters for most hands where partner’s 1NT opening is overcalled.

 

 


The re-opening double                                         Board 2 from Friday 20th August

 

Dealer:             10962                                         Table A

East                  KQ10732                                   West(E)     North         East(F)       South

N-S vul            K                                               1              2              pass           pass

                        AJ                                              dbl   (1)      pass           2    (2)      all pass

 

AKQJ4               N             83                         Table B

AJ                  W    E          954                       West(E)     North         East(F)       South

J97                      S             10653                 1              2              pass           pass

962                                    K754                  dbl   (1)      pass           3   (2)      dbl

                        75                                              pass           pass           3             dbl

86                                              all pass

AQ842                                  

Q1083

 

 

Table A:     (1)  What did you bid with this West hand E in this week’s quiz? To me this re-opening double is automatic, but I believe that the Paul Q/Janne would not re-open with a double. I don’t know if they would pass or bid 2 but I think that both of these are poor options.

(2)  What did you bid with this East hand E in this week’s quiz? This 2 seems obvious to me.

Table B:     (2)  But this East is a founder member of the PaulQ/Janne philosophy for re-opening doubles, where partner’s double is ‘take-out’ and so I guess this 3 is the bid?

                         

 

And what happened? 2-2, 2-1 twice and 3*-4

The botton lines:-

-     It is up to your partnership when you re-open with a double. There are detailed discussions of this topic, with differing views, in news-sheets 402 and 404.

-         In my opinion the re-opening double at (1) is clear – if you pass then on this deal 2 is making for a great score to N-S.

-         Given my style (and I believe the majority style) for re-opening doubles playing negative doubles, East should surely play at the two level in the known 5-2 fit rather than fishing at the three level.


Paul Q’s Column   Mandatory False Cards – part 2

     

In news-sheet 400 we looked at a couple of defensive mandatory false cards giving declarer a losing option. But two can play at that game.

 

Dealer:             xxx                                              Bidding

North               xx                                               West          North         East            South

                        KQ                                             -                 pass           pass           1NT

                        Q109xxx                                    pass           3   (1)      pass           3NT

all pass

KQx                   N             A10xxx                

K10xx            W    E          Jxx                  (1)  invitational, requesting that partner pass

xxxx                    S              Jxx                       or bid 3NT

Kx                                      xx                  

                        Jx                                         

AQxx                                  

Axxx                                   

AJx                                     

 

I first saw the above play ascribed to Italian blue Team star Giorgio Belladonna who was playing in a team event more than 50 years ago. First, the auction: North’s 3 was aggressive, but at teams you must bid close games! I prefer to have two of the top three honours in the suit but little outside.

The Play: The opening lead of a low by West went to East’s J and Belladonna’s ACE! Upon surveying dummy he could see that the fate of the contracthinged on the finesse with ’s no worse that 3-1. And if the finesse lost West could easily see that after a to dummy the finesse losing then the best place to attack would be ’s. Belladonna traded a possible overtrick to introduce an element of doubt: Had West’s partner begun with QJxxx or the A? Eventually he cashed the K and continued with the 10 to Belladonna’s Q and 10 tricks rolled in. The contract was the same at the other table, but South woodenly won the first trick with the Q before crossing in ’s and finessing ’s. West could now clearly see that the only defense was to attack ’s and the contract went -2.

Is this applicable to matchpoints where you have 11 tricks by winning with the Q and hoping that the finesse works? I think it is if you would like to record +630 against a strike of -200’s. West may be convinced that the hands lay like this:

 

xxx                                        This is also a strong argument for the “Smith Echo

xx                                         on defense against NoTrump contracts. In that

KQ                                      case East would play the J on the lead to     

Q109xxx                              dummy (partner I loved your lead) and small

otherwise. Belladonna’s charade would likely have

KQx                   N             Jxx                  been exposed and West would probably play the         

K10xx            W    E          QJxxx             K to test the waters there.

xxxx                    S              Jxx

Kx                                      xx                  

                        Axxx                                    

Ax                                       

Axxx                                   

AJx


The mandatory false card has no guarantee of success, but it offers an opponent a losing option. Here is another example:

 

Dealer:             Kx                                              Bidding

North               KQJ10xx                                    West          North         East            South

N-S vul            KQ10xx                                      4              4NT (1)      pass           5NT (2)

                        -                                                 pass           6    (3)      pass           6    (4)

all pass

AJ10xxxxx          N             x                          

x                     W    E          x                    

x                         S              xxxx                     

Jxx                                     AKxxxxx       

                        Q2                                       

Axxxx                                  

AJx                                     

Qxx

 

(1)  2-suited take-out.

(2)  please bid your lowest minor.

(3)  ’s and ’s.

(4)  If North had bid 6, South would bid 6, to play when North has both minors. With ’s and ’s he corrects to 6.

 

South is a bit disappointed at the aceless dummy, but fights on. The immediate problem is the impending ruff. North’s 4NT bid was ambitious but not unreasonable.

 

The Play: West leads the A and South drops the Q! Now, is South Q Axxxxx x Axxxx  in pattern? Or is the hand more as shown? Can West be sure? The mandatory false card creates a losing option.

 

<end of Paul’s column>


Bidding Quiz Answers

 

Hand A:    3 or 5. This is up to you and also perhaps partnership style. If you open 5 then this has the maximum pre-emptive effect but it rules out 3NT your way. If you open 3 then that may let the opponents in. So I think either is reasonable but the one bid I would not make is 4. That is not just because I play it as Namyats but if you decide to go past 3NT then I would like to pre-empt to the maximum with 5.

Hand B:    (a)  2. It’s minimum, but with solid intermediates in the suit I would open. It’s 14 for the rule of 14/15 for pre-empts and so acceptable in our club.

(b)  pass. Being minimum is most certainly not an excuse to bid again.

Hand C:    pass. This one is very close and I guess that most believe that the hand is maximum and will accept with 3NT. But if you knock off a point for the terrible 4333 shape it’s a very marginal 3NT bid.

Hand D:    (a)  2, this is probably the most popular method of signing off in three of a minor. Partner is forced to bid 3 and you then bid 3.

(b)  2NT, Lebensohl. You want to play in 3 but a direct 3 bid here is generally played as forcing.

Hand E:    double, seems automatic to me. I don’t know what Janne and Paul Q will bid. Now I can see the argument that partner is unlikely to have a penalty hand when you hold the AJ, but he may have. And if he does not then either 2 or a 3/ bid with a 5-card or longer suit and not two ’s will probably be OK.

Hand F:     2, that’s if partner will ‘usually’ re-open with a double. If your partnership belongs to the ‘take-out’ school for re-opening doubles, as advocated by Janne and Paul Q, then I guess 3?

 

 

Bidding Sequence Quiz Answer

 

G     4      4NT                          This 4NT overcall is best played as a strong two-suiter.

 

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

1894.9 Janne Roos

1892.7 Hans Vikman

1861.6 Paul Quodomine
1714.7 Johan Bratsberg

670.4 Janne Roos

662.4 Hans Vikman

640.1 Paul Quodomine

628.3 Sally Watson

627.0 Derek & Gerard

626.8 Tomas Wikman

619.8 Lars Broman

615.9 Jean Wissing

610.7 Johan Bratsburg

609.5 Paul Scully

 

344.6 Janne Roos

338.9 Hans Vikman

329.6 Tomas Wikman

327.5 Derek & Gerard

325.4 Sally Watson

323.4 Paul Quodomine

322.9 Lars Broman

320.3 Jean Wissing

319.5 Duplessy & Coutlet

316.0 Sigurd Zahl

 

 

       

 Ron Klinger web site