District 8 Solvers Forum -- April 2012

   by Karen Walker, Champaign IL
 

What is your call as South holding  ♠AKQ7   ♥10932   ♦A   ♣KJ103 ? 

Another "dangerous to bid, dangerous to pass" problem, but the panel offered some good reasoning to support their best guesses. The flashy bid here is:

KNIEST:  4S. 4H was a transfer, no?

KESSLER:  4S. Your choices are limited to Pass or 4S, and I cannot imagine passing.

DODD:  4S. Preempts were invented to cause heartburn for opponents. Double is too likely to elicit a diamond response that I have no answer for, and passing is just begging for a 20% score.

RABIDEAU:  4S. The plan is to use East's heart over-ruffs to shorten his presumed long trumps. It could work.

KAPLAN:  4S. If ever there were a guess, this has to be the hand. Give partner  xx, x, xxxx, Axxxxx  and we might easily make slam. Give him  xx, Kx, KQxxx, xxxx  and bidding might turn a plus into a minus. Still, I bid. Lots up upside potential. And after all, it's matchpoints. Not "real bridge."

Interesting point. A bold bid can be easier to make at matchpoints because you have no team-mates to answer to, and if your choice leads to a disaster, it's only one of 26 boards. Perhaps this would be a tougher problem at IMPs, where it could cost you the entire match to settle for +100 when you could have scored +620. Then again, it could also be the whole match if you go for a number when you should have been collecting +100.

The other choice for those who couldn't bear to pass was the off-shape takeout double. The doublers knew they were rolling the dice, but liked their chances:

BAKER:  Double. With profuse apologies to partner after he bids diamonds in accordance with Murphy's Law. But this wins if partner has a black suit or if he decides four tricks are easier than 11. Risky, yes, but pass feels cowardly and anything else reckless.

SOPER:  Double. I think the combined odds of partner bidding a black suit, passing or having a really fine diamond suit slightly exceed the odds of hearing a 5D bid on a random 5- or 6-bagger.

Almost half the panel, however, muttered "Sometimes, preempts work" and chose to go quietly: 

MATHENY:  Pass. It's not ALWAYS right to bid 4S over 4H.

PAULO:  Pass. If I double, the probability of partner bidding diamonds and going down is high enough to reject this call. On the other hand, I hope to set 4H.

MERRITT:  Pass. You don't have any call that passes the two-flaw test. Passing seems like my most likely plus, which may be enough at at matchpoints.

FELDHEIM:  Pass. I hate it, but everything else looks worse. Some will try 4S, but this looks bad, as your RHO will be over-ruffing hearts.

As Harold points out, 4S needs a lot from partner, including trump length and honors to prevent a ruffing whipsaw. That prospect convinced the passers to give up on the all-or-nothing actions and hang onto what they had been given. At matchpoints, any plus score rates to get you something, even if it's an average-minus. And it is, after all, just one board.

What is your call as South holding   ♠A1054   ♥86  ♦KJ97   ♣Q43 ?

The majority of the panel figured their shot at a penalty was past, so they went with Plan B: 

BAKER: 2S. With the wasted values in diamonds (and partner balancing, so he could be a little light), this is probably enough. Partner should be able to play me for this approximate strength because of the penalty pass, so I don't think there's any need to jump. 

KESSLER: 2S. If partner could not double on this auction, I'm certainly not.

NELSON: 2S My pass already showed values, so allow partner to decide ... need not rush. Partner could have stopped me with a double of 2H.

SOPER: 2S. Partner's pass of 2H suggests only a modest balancing double without a great heart holding.

KAPLAN: 2S. If partner doesn't want to take a piece of 2H, then neither do I. 2NT a close second.

DODD: 2S. Tempted to try for the magic +200, but if North couldn't double 2H, I have to ask myself where we are going to come up with six tricks opposite a balancing double, especially if East-West hold 8+ hearts.

I don't understand the panel's insistence that it was partner's responsibility to make a penalty double. All partner knows so far is that you have a diamond stack. From his point of view, your hand could be KJ1097 and out, so he's going to be passing 2H with most minimums, even those with four hearts. If he holds a hand such as  ♠K92  ♥AJ72  ♦43  ♣AJ105, he can't double 2H unless he knows you have defensive tricks.

KNIEST: Double. Pard had heart length when he doubled. Nothing's free. 2S probably works, but I'm after 200+.

FELDHEIM: Double. This hand doesn't play well for declarer. Partner may hold four hearts and even with only three hearts, the balance of power is in our favor. 2S would be "chicken" at matchpoints but okay at IMPs. I expect +200.

That's my choice. As in other auctions where you've clarified a trap pass, a follow-up double of their run-out suit doesn't promise a stack in that suit, too. In this auction, it shows decent defensive strength with at least a doubleton heart ... and a desire for a lot of matchpoints.

   * Forcing to game
 ** Does not promise extra length

What is your call as South holding   ♠Q4   ♥AK9754  ♦1032   ♣AQ ?

3NT, 4H and 4S are all in the mix here and slam is possible, so the problem should be how to investigate all three strains. However, more than half the panel and Solvers chose to emphasize just one suit. The majority thought it was important to show the sixth heart: 

BAKER: 3H. On this auction, it's not unusual for opener to have just five spades with no other descriptive bid available, so I don't want to commit to spades yet. Unless partner bids 3NT or 4H, I'll support spades at my next bid.

FELDHEIM: 3H. As long as we're in a game force and partner doesn't promise six spades, I'll show my sixth heart. Slam is not out of the question.

BRIDGE BARON: 3H. "I have six hearts." Finding the right trump suit is why we play two-over-one, right?

KESSLER: 3H. This does show extra length and describes what I have, which is not a spade raise.

3H is a clear description, but it limits partner's options. He won't be able to bid 3NT unless he has stoppers in both minors, and if he raises hearts, you won't know if he has Qx or xx.

Three panelists focused partner's attention on spades:

KAPLAN: 3S. If partner doesn't have extra length, his spades should be pretty decent. I just can't bring myself to bid 3C or 3D, and 2NT with 10xx of diamonds seems wrong, too.

This rebid may depend somewhat on partnership agreements, but the most common among 2-over-1 players is that 3S here guarantees 3+ card support. If partner does have six good spades, this raise could give you an easier auction to a slam. When he doesn't, though, you may end up in the wrong game because you've taken hearts (and probably notrump) out of the picture.

The alternatives are all the bids between 2S and 3H. A good argument for one of those choices comes from a 3H bidder:

SOPER: 3H. Bidding 3C is tempting since it would allow partner to reveal a major-suit fit with a 3H or 3S bid or bid 3NT with a diamond stopper. But I can't bring myself to bid my doubleton.

All those selling points for 3C, but he didn't bid it. This panelist did:

WARD: 3C. 3H may put partner in a pickle, and I don't like 2NT because it potentially wrong-sides our diamond stopper(s).

Not to mention the problem of partner raising 2NT to 3NT when he assumes that you have a diamond stopper. That wasn't a big concern for these panelists:

PAULO: 2NT. This rebid asks for more information, and allows me to bid hearts again in a forcing-to-game situation.

KNIEST: 2NT. Pard can now rebid 3S or support hearts with honor doubleton or bid 3NT. My high cards should cover all the bases.

DODD: 2NT. Best of the flawed rebids. It's very probable we'll end up in four of a major, so give North the opportunity to support hearts or rebid spades. This could "wrong-side" a 3NT contract, but if I try to arrange it so North declares, a club lead could be as bad or worse than a diamond lead.

Your choice comes down to whether you want to make a telling bid that suggests a trump suit (3H or 3S) or an asking bid that drags more information out of partner (2NT, 3C or even a "semi-psychic" 3D). With three different games to consider, I think the asking bid stands out. In this auction, my partners expect stoppers in both unbid suits for a 2NT rebid; if both suits aren't covered, it's customary to bid the new suit where you do have a stopper. That's why I prefer 3C, but 2NT could work, too. Both bids give partner room to show belated heart support (a doubleton honor) or confirm that he has six good spades. If partner rebids 3D or 3H, you'll also have room to rebid 3S to show your doubleton honor.

All bases covered, except for a possible decision about slam. But that's another problem for another column.

What is your call as South holding  ♠2   ♥J976   ♦AJ92   ♣A1083 ?

All but one panelist made at least a try for slam, although many expressed a marked lack of enthusiasm. One approach was:

SOPER: 5H. My side-suit aces would work well opposite a splinter bid, but opposite a flat hand with only four trumps, even the invitation feels aggressive.

RABIDEAU: 5H. I hope the message is: I didn't cuebid or Blackwood because I'm not concerned about outside controls; how do your hearts look?

FELDHEIM: 5H. This should imply minor-suit controls and ask about trump quality. If partner bids 5S, I'll probe further with 6C.

MERRITT: 5H. I don't know if partner will wonder why I didn't cuebid, but all of those sequences seem to propel us into slam anyway. This may be a way to invite forward movement without running out of control.

Partner shouldn't have any problem reading the raise to 5H as a request for good trumps. The problem is that he'll bid 6H with ♥KQ105 but no spade ace, so you're down off the top. If he instead holds ♥A1082 with the spade ace, he'll pass 5H and you've missed a good slam.

Another possible probe is a control cuebid:

PAULO: 4S. With a double fit and two aces, I envisage slam, so I announce my cheapest control.

This shows your slam interest, but partner will be wanting for a rebid. With no aces to cuebid below 5H, he'll have to either retreat to 5H or cuebid a minor-suit king and hope you don't think it's the ace. Whatever he does, you won't have room to tell him that you have both minor-suit aces and need trump honors. 

Other panelists considered 4S and 5H, but finally decided to haul out "Old (Keycard) Black".

KAPLAN: 4NT. Thin, but I'm going to bid keycard. I was going to cuebid, but I couldn't figure out how that would aid the auction.

DODD: 4NT. North's hand is a near-open book as to strength and pattern, and Keycard Blackwood (with a 5D queen-ask after a 5C response) will elicit the best information. I considered 5H as a trump ask, but that call seems more of a copout to blame North if we finish at the wrong level.

That's the other problem with the 5H trump-ask. Partner's idea of what qualifies as "good trumps" may be different than yours. One view is that to accept the invitation, you need two of the top three honors or one of the top two honors plus the jack.

BAKER: 4NT. If partner has wasted spade values, this could certainly go poorly, but there's no safe way to check for that. 5D is tempting to show the double fit, but partner won't know his three little spades are no threat. If he shows two keycards with the queen, or three keycards, I'll try 6H.

WARD: 4NT. I think my good controls make up for the weak hearts. Right or wrong, I'll bid 6D over 5H.

KNIEST: 4NT. Pass is impossible; I know more about his hand than he does about mine, so I use Roman Keycard.

MATHENY: 4NT. I'm going to find out about my partner's heart honors. The diamond fit makes slam a big possibility.

NELSON: 4NT. No problem here except the heart suit, but I'm expecting strong trumps from partner.

I know Blackwood is out of fashion, but if you aren't going to use it with this hand, you might as well take it off your convention card. Yet another choice that could work out is:

KESSLER: Pass. When I held this hand, I bid and even 5H had no play. However, if you reversed the East-West hands, I would have brought home a bad slam.

I have a lot of sympathy for the pass, and I might choose it at matchpoints. I lean toward 4NT here mainly because it's IMPs and I want a tie on the board. My usual rule is when in doubt (and I am), don't push with bad trumps, but these controls will probably induce my opponent to bid more, so I'll do the same.

What is your call as South holding  ♠Q763   ♥QJ1083   ♦Void   ♣KJ98 ?

This must be a good problem, as our panel and Solvers proposed seven different ways to raise spades (now or later), with their evaluations ranging from partscores to games to slam tries. Then there were the penalty passers: 

KNIEST: Pass. I lead the ♥Q after partner doubles.

MATHENY: Pass. It seems I have too many spades to want to defend, but my club spots make it irresistible. I'm waiting for my partner's reopening double.

SOPER: Pass. With my clubs nearly worthless offensively, nothing outside that's higher than a queen and a probable bad trump split, even 3S may not make.

This would be an attractive choice if your game isn't making and if you're positive that partner will reopen with a double. That's not a guarantee, so there's always the possibility that you'll be collecting 50 a trick when you have a laydown 420. The rest of the panel, however, was averse to defending with such good spade support, so Pass was demoted in the scoring.

Half the panel chose to bid game immediately:

RABIDEAU: 4S. My hand has devalued to a bit less than the forcing raise I was about to make, but 3S is obviously inadequate.

FELDHEIM: 4S. A practical bid. I've too many spades to pass a reopening double and nothing particularly attractive to offer descriptively. This hand may depend on the lead, so a foggy auction seems best.

WARD: 4S. I can't bring myself to splinter with just half a quick trick.

BRIDGE BARON: 4S. It's possible to miss a slam with this bid, but Bridge Baron sees no sensible alternatives.

KESSLER: 4S. Trying to defend clubs gives the opponents a chance to find diamonds, and when you eventually support spades, partner may not realize how much support you have.

DODD: 4S. Just about right on value. 3S is way too weak, passing to hope for a penalty is ridiculous, and any value-showing bid (3H or 4D) is wildly optimistic -- although 3H could work if we have a perfect double fitter.

Speaking for the "wildly optimistic" set:

MERRITT: 4C. Then I can retreat to 4S over 4D or move forward after 4H.

PAULO: 3H. This natural bid will help partner visualize our potential after my raise.

BAKER: 4D (splinter raise). It's tempting to back off because of the wasted clubs, but even non-vulnerable games are worth a stretch at IMPs.

No raise provides a perfect description. The hand has too much for 3S and maybe even for 4S, but it's awfully short in helpful high cards for the stronger raises (4C and 4D). Starting with 3H and then raising spades could work, but partner may think you have better hearts and shorter spades for that auction. The panel's view seemed to be that the practical 4S was the best of these flawed choices -- and that there's nothing wrong with putting down a little extra in dummy.

    * Support double (3-card spade support)

What is your call as South holding  ♠KQ6   ♥K102   ♦4   ♣AQ10743 ?

Have you done enough with this hand? Seven panelists thought so:

KNIEST: Pass. Pard could have a weak hand. The next bid should come from him.

MERRITT: Pass. This may be just short of the minimum for my do-something-intelligent double. The auction isn't necessarily over if I pass.

SOPER: Pass. Partner knows more about my hand than I do about his, so I'll let him make the last mistake.

All partner knows is that you have a 12-13 points with three spades. He doesn't know that you have three quick tricks, two spade honors, a strong 6-card club suit and a stiff diamond. Nine panelists thought that was enough to bid again. The weakest advance, chosen by two panelists and 29 percent of Solvers, was:

RABIDEAU: 3S. Awkward. "3 Splubs" is the best bid, but the director may not appreciate it.

BRIDGE BARON: 3S. Pure simulation: average score +53.61 for 3S, +5.78 for 4S, -95.50 for defending 3D.

Computer simulations aside, this rebid may make you nervous. Partner's retreat to 2S didn't promise a 5-card suit, and your 3S doesn't invite game, so partner won't be involved in choosing the final contract. These panelists chose stronger moves:

BAKER: 3H. With the stiff diamond and good club suit, I have enough to invite. I'd prefer to emphasize the clubs, but at the 4-level that would be a game commitment and my hand isn't quite that good.

PAULO: 3H. I want to compete, but I am not sure that spades are our best strain.

FELDHEIM: 4C. I've a healthy 5-loser hand and bidding to the 4-level both clarifies my shape and makes some sort of game try in spades. If partner bids 4S, my KQx will be a happy surprise.

WARD: 4C. It would be nice if double showed something like this, or if I had better club intermediates, but I feel compelled to bid out my hand.

KESSLER: Double. I've got too much to pass and no clear action, so let partner guess. Maybe pard has an ace and the QJ10x of diamonds. I love large pluses.

These rebids might scare you a bit, too, but so should passing. I like the double (diamond shortness, extra values) because it keeps open the possibility of a penalty and lets partner out at 3S if he has a poor hand, although I'd feel more confident if we'd had a previous discussion about this auction. Any of these advances seems better than defending 3D undoubled, though. If you're going to guess wrong, it's usually more fun to do it declaring than defending. And, as KAPLAN reminded us earlier, it is, after all, only matchpoints.

   ©  Karen Walker