You hold:
| ♠ | 6 5 4 2 |
|---|---|
| ♥ | K |
| ♦ | A J 8 7 |
| ♣ | K 9 7 5 |
Lets say you're nil vul, 4th to act and playing Imps.
| West | North | East | South |
| Pass | 1♥ | 2♠ | ? |
If you double then tell us what you'll do over partners 3♦.
19 January 2012
Bidding problem
Now that your new years resolutions aimed to avoid over bidding, over sacrificing and playing Gerber have worn off it's time for a bidding problem.
You hold:
Lets say you're nil vul, 4th to act and playing Imps.
If you double then tell us what you'll do over partners 3♦.
You hold:
Lets say you're nil vul, 4th to act and playing Imps.
If you double then tell us what you'll do over partners 3♦.
15 January 2012
Opening one
I love opening, it's why I turn up to bridge and one of the reasons I venture into silly systems. In these examples everything is mostly natural.
Second seat, unfavourable.
You have a weak 2♠ available but is that really what this hand is worth? 6430 is high on the powerful shapes list and all your values are in the two longest suits. I opened at the one level.
Partner responded 2♥ which made me feel all warm inside but she passed 2♠ which rolled in.
As an aside would you have made a takeout double sitting West? That won't go well if North thinks to send it back.
The consequences of taking the weaker option can be seen in this example:
A couple of people I get on well with opened the West hand at the one level and had no trouble reaching the game unaided.
Pushing them into wasn't all bad though. After winning the heart lead I sent back the J♦. Declarer won on the table and pulled a spade to the Ten. Don't know why.
| ♠ | K Q 9 8 3 2 |
|---|---|
| ♥ | - |
| ♦ | A T 8 4 |
| ♣ | 9 7 5 |
Second seat, unfavourable.
You have a weak 2♠ available but is that really what this hand is worth? 6430 is high on the powerful shapes list and all your values are in the two longest suits. I opened at the one level.
| Vul: NS Dealer: East |
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Partner responded 2♥ which made me feel all warm inside but she passed 2♠ which rolled in.
As an aside would you have made a takeout double sitting West? That won't go well if North thinks to send it back.
The consequences of taking the weaker option can be seen in this example:
| Vul: Nil Dealer: West |
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|
| West | North | East | South |
| 2♠1 | Pass | Pass2 | 3♥3 |
| 3♠4 | 4♥ | 4♠5 | End |
- 5♠ & 4+ any other (Lucas).
- Just missed game.
- There's me, handing out the life jackets
- Oh look, I have an opening hand!
- Sigh
A couple of people I get on well with opened the West hand at the one level and had no trouble reaching the game unaided.
Pushing them into wasn't all bad though. After winning the heart lead I sent back the J♦. Declarer won on the table and pulled a spade to the Ten. Don't know why.
11 January 2012
Messing up the defence
Defence is hard, I'm sure I've mentioned that before. I messed up this hand in a big way and the worst thing was although I could see it coming I didn't put enough thought in to work out how to prevent it.
Partner leads a club; we lead 3rds and 5ths and I suspect this is a 5th.
Rather oddly declarer hops up with the Ace dropping the 8 from hand and plays a diamond to the Queen and partners King.
Partner returns the ♣2 which runs to the Queen and you pitch the ♠7 (rev count). Now comes the ♦A, partner follows small, and the ♦J on which partner discards the ♣6 (dummy discards two hearts).
With your newly set up ♦T9 and the ♥A still an entry it's easy to feel pretty good about this hand. Declarer now leads out the ♥K, take it or leave it?
(Have a think, it won't hurt)
Decided?
If you have worked it out I'm sure you will agree that declarer isn't on form. Their hand must be 4252 shape which means that aside from bidding their suits out of order simply playing small to the first round of clubs would have secured the contract.
Regardless if you grab the ♥A and take you two rounds of diamonds you'll probably be looking at this:
From here it won't matter whether declarer has any idea what this position actually means. You'll play a spade to the table where maybe he'll first play the ♣K but sure as anything he'll cash the ♥Q and when that last round of hearts is played your partner is squeezed in the blacks.
If you duck the heart declarer has end play opportunities if he can guess the shape but we know that isn't happening.
| North | South |
| 1♥ | 1♠ |
| 2♣ | 3N |
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Partner leads a club; we lead 3rds and 5ths and I suspect this is a 5th.
Rather oddly declarer hops up with the Ace dropping the 8 from hand and plays a diamond to the Queen and partners King.
Partner returns the ♣2 which runs to the Queen and you pitch the ♠7 (rev count). Now comes the ♦A, partner follows small, and the ♦J on which partner discards the ♣6 (dummy discards two hearts).
With your newly set up ♦T9 and the ♥A still an entry it's easy to feel pretty good about this hand. Declarer now leads out the ♥K, take it or leave it?
(Have a think, it won't hurt)
Decided?
If you have worked it out I'm sure you will agree that declarer isn't on form. Their hand must be 4252 shape which means that aside from bidding their suits out of order simply playing small to the first round of clubs would have secured the contract.
Regardless if you grab the ♥A and take you two rounds of diamonds you'll probably be looking at this:
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From here it won't matter whether declarer has any idea what this position actually means. You'll play a spade to the table where maybe he'll first play the ♣K but sure as anything he'll cash the ♥Q and when that last round of hearts is played your partner is squeezed in the blacks.
If you duck the heart declarer has end play opportunities if he can guess the shape but we know that isn't happening.
09 January 2012
Back to Bridge
After a short hiatus during which I played no bridge I'm back into it and so the blogging shall recommence. First event of my bridge year is the holiday pairs; a competition for those who couldn't afford a longer holiday.
Even after such a short break there's some rustiness about and Fe2O3 is always amusing. Consider the following...
When East forgot to pre-empt West was allowed to kick off with a 13 - 15 no trump.
I considered my excellent heart suit worth a mention and showed one or both majors with 2♣. East still had some clubs in with their diamonds and passed allowing my partner to bid a spade preferring 2♥.
The auction from here actually makes sense so lets move to the play starting at Wests very reasonable ♣J lead. Covered then covered again declarer ruffed and drew trumps in two rounds ending in hand.
The spade Queen caught the King under the Ace and now cleverly running the 7 of spades declarer set up the suit for no losers. West expecting the Knave had played low. All that remained was to discard the short diamond honours on the established spades and 12 tricks had rolled in.
Feel for the North who elected not to make a vulnerable overcall with such a powerful holding and led a baby heart at 1NT. Battered by seven rounds of clubs South didn't find the obscure defence of holding on to all four diamonds and so when the QJ dropped declarer took every trick.
Even after such a short break there's some rustiness about and Fe2O3 is always amusing. Consider the following...
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When East forgot to pre-empt West was allowed to kick off with a 13 - 15 no trump.
| West | North | East | South |
| - | - | Pass | Pass |
| 1NT | 2♣ | Pass | 2♥ |
| Pass | Pass | 3♣ | 3♥ |
| End |
I considered my excellent heart suit worth a mention and showed one or both majors with 2♣. East still had some clubs in with their diamonds and passed allowing my partner to bid a spade preferring 2♥.
The auction from here actually makes sense so lets move to the play starting at Wests very reasonable ♣J lead. Covered then covered again declarer ruffed and drew trumps in two rounds ending in hand.
The spade Queen caught the King under the Ace and now cleverly running the 7 of spades declarer set up the suit for no losers. West expecting the Knave had played low. All that remained was to discard the short diamond honours on the established spades and 12 tricks had rolled in.
Feel for the North who elected not to make a vulnerable overcall with such a powerful holding and led a baby heart at 1NT. Battered by seven rounds of clubs South didn't find the obscure defence of holding on to all four diamonds and so when the QJ dropped declarer took every trick.
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