SpadeHeart 
Dorking Bridge Club
 DiamondClub
Release 2.19q
0 0 0 0 0 0
Pages viewed in 2024
Bulletin

Follow us on

Facebook-  

or

Twitter 

YouTube

Please Like / Follow Us / ReTweet

We look forward to seeing you.

Registered charity number 1165095

22nd September
Bd 1

 

 

P - P -1 -P

1  - P - 3 -P

4 

Some may open with North meeting the rule of 19 (HCPs and length of 2 longest suits) but no good intermediates or distribution shape.

So should South open in position 3 with 11HCPs. This is a powerful 11 HCPs with honour card points in the long suits.

The key question is whether South raises 1  to 2 or 3 ? South only has 11HCPs but in  s he has a 5 loser hand so does not need a lot from North for game so bid  3♥. For more info on using the losing trick analysis.

North is a maximum for a pass and the Ace of partners suit will be useful. 

Bd 4

1  - 1♠ - 2 - X

3  - 3 - P- P

Should North double or bid 1♠ . As he can show length in 2 suits by bidding ♠ s and then  s this is probably best order.

East should raise partner to 2 s. Always raise partner if you can.

Double by South shows around 8 HCPs and support for the other unbid suits.

With 9 trumps West should raise to 3 s. The rule of total tricks in a balanced competitive auction bid to the number of trumps your side holds.

North has to decide whether to bid 3 or 4 s. North has a source of tricks in the ♠ s, but an A♣ is more valuable (in our suits) than an Ace   (their suit). 

As the card lie with a trump possible in ♠ s and the ♣ s can run by West only 2 s can make.

What to lead by East against  contract?

Bd 7
Bd 9

P - 1♠ - x - 4♠ 

5 - 5♠ ? - P- P

Some may open the North hand with 3 but not that great without values in  s and flatish shape 6322.

5♠  is better as the East hand has offensive values (A/Ks and singletons / voids) rather than defensive ones and partner has shown a good suit support, but not necesarily HCPs. A double would be penalties and show a flatish defensive hand, East can take out to 5♠ s if he has bid with distribution and not HCPs. 

Some North's may have considered 6 s over 5♠ s which is a good sacrifice.

Bd 12 Adv

1  - P - 2NT - P

3♣  - P - 3♠ - P

4 - P - P

This is a good example of a hand that is useful to have a convention called Jacoby 2NT for forcing to game and exploring a slam. The responses are:

4 Major - not interested in slam

3 Major - 17+ HCPs and balanced.

3x - is a void or singleton and a hand suitable for slam (with 6 loser hand and 5521 distribution may be worth exploring)

4x - is a 5+ card suit with honours in it

The 3♠ response is a cue bid, as this bypasses 3 west knows that there are two losers in  s so signs off in 4 s

 

Bd 17 Adv

1♣  - 1 - 1♠ - 4 

4♠ 

The jump raise by West to 4 has made it difficult for North to explore for slam. He has no losers in  s and a good fit for ♠ s.

One problem with North bidding 4♠ s is missing slam, or what does he do if East bids 5 s. To show an interest in slam he can bid 5 s showing a control and inviting South to bid a slam if suitable.

South will think on the positive side that he has solid spade with an extra one, no risk with his low doubleton  , doubleton in partners suit may allow ruffing a trick and QJ  will support a K or allow a finesse. So will go to slam.

Not easy to find.

 

Bd 22 Adv

P- 1NT - P - 2 

P - 3♠ - P - 4♠ 

The normal response of 2♠ to the transfer request can be varied with a jump to 3♠ if you have 4♠ s and have a hand that could be suitable for game. Here South has 13.5 HCPs and a useful low doubleton that could be ruffed.

It is the best bid even if partner has 0 HCPs as they have game and it will make it difficult to find game in  s and is a good example of the law of total tricks.

It gets more difficult if bidding goes

P- 1NT - 2 - 2♠ 

P - 3♠ - P - 4♠ 

Bd 24

P - P -P -1♣ 

P - 1♠ - P - 2N

P - 4 

With the bid of 1♠  by North, South can fill his ♠ King has value  and he is safe against ♠ s so can bid 2N 17/18 (or 3NT, but still a bit of a risk with the ♠ s). On this North can safetly show his 55 shape and bid 4 s