Mon 19th N-S 1st Niclas & Bengt M 68% 2nd Paul Sc & Guttorm 56%
E-W 1st Gerard & Derek 66% 2nd Kenneth & John B 56%
Wed 21st N-S 1st Bob S & Sigurd 62% 2nd Paul Sc & Guttorm 59%
E-W 1st Gerard & Derek 62% 2nd Hans V & Per-Ake 58%
Fri 23rd 1st Gerard & Derek 56% 2nd =Bjorn & Guttorm 55%
2nd =Niclas & Bengt M 55%
Bidding Quiz Standard American (short ♣) bidding is assumed unless otherwise stated.
Hand A Hand B With Hand A you open 1♦ and partner bids 1♠, what do you do?
♠ 3 ♠ Q76
♥ AKJ6 ♥ 7 With Hand B partner opens 2♥, what do you bid?
♦ Q8432 ♦ AJ752
♣ Q107 ♣ AKJ3
Hand C Hand D With Hand C it’s unfavourable vulnerability. Do you open
in first seat?
♠ - ♠ QJ865
♥ J108 ♥ 1082 With Hand D partner opens 1♦, and you bid 1♠. Partner rebids
♦ KQ953 ♦ - 1NT, what do you do?
♣ A8752 ♣ AJ962
Hand E Hand F With Hand E RHO opens 1♦, what do you bid?
♠ AQ105 ♠ KJ964
♥ AK3 ♥ Q6542 With Hand F LHO opens 1♦ and partner doubles. What do
♦ AJ4 ♦ 7 you bid?
♣ KJ4 ♣ Q6
Bidding Sequence Quiz
G 1♦ dbl pass 2♦ What does the 2♦ cuebid of opener’s suit show?
Dave’s Column
West East West North East South
♠ AQ2 ♠ 874 - pass pass pass
♥ AJ10 ♥ 943 2♣ pass 2♦ pass
♦ AK74 ♦ 92 2NT pass 3NT all pass
♣ KJ5 ♣ A10982
You are West, declarer in 3NT. Plan the play on the ♠J lead.
Dave’s Column Answer Board 17 from Wednesday 21st Sept.
Dealer: ♠ KJ1093 Bidding
North ♥ KQ2 West North East South
Love all ♦ J653 - pass pass pass
♣ 7 2♣ pass 2♦ pass
2NT (1) pass 3NT all pass
♠ AQ2 N ♠ 874
♥ AJ10 W E ♥ 943 (1) 22-24.
♦ AK74 S ♦ 92
♣ KJ5 ♣ A10982
♠ 63
♥ 8765
♦ Q108 Plan the play for declarer on the ♠J lead.
♣ Q643
Declarer should win the ♠, play the ♣K and (unless South shows out) a low ♣ from both
hands! If the defence wins the second ♣ declarer can later overtake the ♣J to ensure the
contract. If Dummy’s ♣8 wins as it should here (South should hold up) then take a ♥ finesse
and another later using the ♣A as an entry. Note that running the ♣J fails when South holds up
with ♣Qxxx.
Dave’s 2nd Column
North South West North East South
♠ KQ6 ♠ AJ1087 - - pass 1♠
♥ Q6 ♥ AJ102 pass 2♠ pass 3♥
♦ 98632 ♦ A pass 3♠ pass 4♠
♣ 842 ♣ KJ3 all pass
You are South, declarer in 4♠. Plan the play on a trump lead.
Dave’s 2nd Column Answer Board 18 from Wednesday 21st Sept.
Dealer: ♠ KQ6 Bidding
East ♥ Q6 West North East South
N-S vul ♦ 98632 - - pass 1♠
♣ 842 pass 2♠ pass 3♥
pass 3♠ pass 4♠
♠ 943 N ♠ 52 all pass
♥ K975 W E ♥ 843
♦ J107 S ♦ KQ54
♣ Q76 ♣ A1095 West plays the ♠3, plan the play for declarer.
♠ AJ1087
♥ AJ102
♦ A
♣ KJ3
Declarer should win the ♠ in dummy and lead the ♥6 to the ♥J. If the finesse wins, try to
ruff two ♥’s in dummy.
On the actual layout the ♥ finesse loses but you have two entries (high ♠ and ♥Q) as entries to take two ♣ finesses.
The bottom lines
Current club championship standings
|
Gold Cup = Best 30 |
Silver Plate = Best 10 |
Bronze Medal = Best 5 |
1 |
1824.3 Hans Vikman |
647.4 Hans Vikman |
335.4 Bob Short |
The Triple
Congratulations to Gerard and Derek, who won the triple (3 wins in one week) last week.
New minor Forcing? Board 18 from Wednesday 14th
Every convention has a disadvantage (often taking away the natural meaning). Here is an
example of where New Minor Forcing (or Checkback Stayman) do not work well.
Dealer: ♠ QJ865 Table A
East ♥ 1082 West North East South(A)
N-S vul ♦ - - - - 1♦
♣ AJ962 pass 1♠ pass 2♦ (1)
pass pass (2) pass
♠ K97 N ♠ A1042
♥ Q943 W E ♥ 75 Table B
♦ A109 S ♦ KJ765 West North(D) East South(A)
♣ K43 ♣ 85 - - - 1♦
♠ 3 pass 1♠ pass 1NT (1)
♥ AKJ6 2♣ (3) pass pass (4) pass
♦ Q8432
♣ Q107
Table A: (1) What did you bid with this South hand A in this week’s quiz? This miserable ♦
suit is not a re-biddable suit.
(2) North is not happy with the turn of events, bid bidding twice with this apparent
mis-fit could lead to disaster.
Table B: (1) This is my answer to question A. I would bid 1NT, but if you don’t like bidding
1NT with a singleton in partner’s suit then 2♣ is the only alternative.
(3) What did you bid with this North hand D in this week’s quiz? Playing natural
methods with 2♣ non-forcing, then 2♣ is very reasonable, offering partner the
choice of black suits. However, if you play Checkback Stayman or NMF then 2♣
would be forcing and this hand is not strong enough, so pass.
(4) Playing 2♣ as natural, South passes of course.
The bottom lines:
And what happened? Both 1NT and 2♣ played well, 2♦ did not.
Responding to a take-out double. Board 6 from Friday 23rd
Dealer: ♠ KJ964 Table A
East ♥ Q6542 West North East(C) South
E-W vul ♦ 7 - - pass (1) 2♣
♣ Q6 pass 2♦ (2) pass 2NT (3)
pass 3♥ (4) pass 4♠ (5)
♠ 8732 N ♠ - pass 4NT (6) pass 5♣ (7)
♥ 97 W E ♥ J108 pass 5♦ (8) pass 5♥ (9)
♦ 10862 S ♦ KQ953 pass 6♠ (10) all pass
♣ 1093 ♣ A8752
♠ AQ105 Table B
♥ AK3 West North(F) East(C) South(E)
♦ AJ4 - - 1♦ (1) dbl (11)
♣ KJ4 pass 2♦ (12) 3♣ 3NT (13)
pass 4♥ pass 4NT (14)
pass pass (15)
Table A: (1) Did you open with this East hand C in this week’s quiz? This East decided to pass.
(2) Relay.
(3) 22-24, the great top cards and ♠10 are enough compensation for the flat shape.
(4) Transfer.
(5) The sequence is not game forcing, so this is a super-accept.
(6) RKCB
(7) 3 keycards
(8) Trump queen? Note that unlike the king ask, the queen ask does not guarantee all
keycards present and may just be looking for the small slam (as here).
(9) Yes, and the ♥K (cheapest king)
(10) Knowing that partner has the ♥K is enough for North to go for the slam.
Table B: (1) This East is a firm believer in the rule of 20 (with the points in the long suits)
and so he opened 1♦ and this is my answer to question C.
(11) What did you bid with this South hand E in this week’s quiz? This double (with
the intention of bidding 3NT over a 1♥ or 2♣ response) is best. The hand is
obviously far too strong for an immediate 1NT.
(12) What did you bid with this North hand F in this week’s quiz? North meant this a
‘pick a major’, which is the generally accepted meaning.
(13) South did not understand North’s 2♦ bid.
(14) Apparently meant as Blackwood.
(15) North assumed that South simply wanted to play in NoTrumps (as would I).
And what happened? 6♠ is where you want to be. 4♠+2 scored well, 4NT+1 did not.
Raise partner’s weak two? Board 13 from Wednesday 21st
Dealer: ♠ KJ93 Table A
North ♥ J863 West(B) North East South
Both vul ♦ Q - pass 2♥ pass
♣ 10984 2NT (1) pass 3NT (2) pass
4♥ (3) all pass
♠ Q76 N ♠ 1082
♥ 7 W E ♥ AKQ1052 Table B
♦ AJ752 S ♦ 109 West(B) North East South
♣ AKJ3 ♣ 76 - pass 2♥ pass
♠ A54 pass (1) pass
♥ 94
♦ K8643
♣ Q52
Table A: (1) What did you bid with this West hand B in this week’s quiz? This West chose to look for game using Ogust.
(2) Showing AKQxxx
(3) Knowing that partner has no points outside ♥’s, maybe West should pass andhope that the ♥’s are 3-3.
Table B: (1) This is the correct answer to question B. With a singleton trump there is no realistic chance of game.
The bottom lines:
15 points may sometimes be enough to look for game opposite partner’s weak two, but not with a singleton trump.
And what happened at our club? 4♥-2, 4♥-1, 3NT=, 2♥+1 twice and 2♥=.
So half the field sensibly passed and half bid a hopeless game. One made a very lucky 3NT,
presumably with considerable help from the defence.
Bidding Quiz Answers
Hand A: 1NT. It’s not usually a good idea to rebid 1NT with a singleton in partner’s suit,
but here it’s the best of evils. This miserable ♦ suit is not re-biddable and the only
other reasonable bid is 2♣. You cannot bid 2♥ of course as that’s a reverse promising 15+.
Hand B: Pass. With a singleton trump there is no realistic chance of game.
Hand C: 1♦. The hand conforms with the rule of 20 and has an easy rebid. With the points in the long
suits and a void this is a very clear opener in my style. To pass would (did) just make it easy for the opponents.
Hand D: 2♣, that is if you do not play it as convention (e.g. NMF or Checkback)) in which case you have to pass.
Hand E: double. With the intention of raising a 1♠ response to 4♠ and bidding 3NT over a 1♥ or 2♣ response.
The hand is far too good for a 1NT overcall and 3NT would show a different hand type (and will miss a possible ♠ fit).
Hand F: 2♦, this asks partner to bid his best 4+ card major if he has one.
Bidding Sequence Quiz Answers
G 1♦ dbl pass 2♦ 2♦ here generally shows both majors and asks partner to bid his
best major (if it is at least 4 cards).