Our website is www.pattayabridge.com Club News Sheet – No. 364
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Mon 26th N-S 1st Gerry & Per-Ake 65% 2nd Bob P & Robbie 58%
E-W 1st Janne & Paul Q 63% 2nd Lars B & Lars G 62%
Wed 28th N-S 1st Janne & Per-Ake 57% 2nd Frode & Robbie 56%
E-W 1st Hans V & Royd 61% 2nd Paul Q & Terry Q 54%
Fri 30th N-S 1st Janne & Per-Ake 70% 2nd Bengt & Lars B 54%
E-W 1st Paul Q & Guttorm 61% 2nd Andre & Knud 54%
Bidding Quiz Standard American bidding is assumed unless otherwise stated.
Hand A Hand B What do you open with Hand A?
♠ KJ109542 ♠ J6
♥ AKQ ♥ QJ102 With Hand B partner opens 1♠ and RHO overcalls with a
♦ A5 ♦ AK9 weak 3♣, what do you do?
♣ Q ♣ J1085
Hand C Hand D With Hand C it’s favourable vulnerability and RHO opens
1NT, what do you do?
♠ A52 ♠ AK6542
♥ KQJ102 ♥ 2 With Hand D it’s favourable vulnerability and you are in 3rd
♦ Q103 ♦ 6 seat after two passes, what do you open?
♣ K3 ♣ AJ876
Current club championship standings
Gold Cup = Best 30 / Silver Plate = Best 10 / Bronze Medal = Best 51
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10 / 1928.6 Janne Roos
1924.0 Hans Vikman
1883.4 Paul Quodomine
1804.7 Sally Watson
1732.1 Ivy Schlageter
1725.8 Bob Short
1714.4 Bob Pelletier
1709.7 Paul Scully / 682.5 Janne Roos
682.1 Hans Vikman
655.4 Paul Quodomine
636.6 Sally Watson
625.4 Jeremy Watson
624.0 Per-Ake Roskvist
619.7 Ivy Schlageter
618.9 Bob Short
618.5 Lars Broman
611.2 Gerard / Derek / 352.9 Janne Roos
351.7 Hans Vikman
336.7 Paul Quodomine
328.1 Per-Ake Roskvist
326.0 Sally Watson
325.4 Jeremy Watson
325.3 Ivy Schlageter
321.7 Bob Short
321.0 Per Andersson
319.5 Lars Broman
The Tripple
Well done Janne Roos and Per-Ake Roskvist, who both achieved the triple this week. And their fine result together on Friday put Janne on top of the gold and Per-Ake on top of the bronze.
Negative double how high? Board 18 from Wednesday 28th
Dealer: ♠ AQ952 Table A
East ♥ 765 West(B) North East South
N-S vul ♦ 10532 - - 1♠ 3♣
♣ 2 pass (1) pass dbl (2) pass
pass (3) pass
♠ J6 N ♠ K10873
♥ QJ102 W E ♥ AK943 Table B
♦ AK9 S ♦ J74 West(B) North East South
♣ J1085 ♣ - - - 1♠ 3♣
♠ 4 dbl (1) pass 3♥ pass
♥ 8 4♥ all pass
♦ Q86
♣ AKQ97643
Table A: (1) What did you bid with this North hand B in this week’s quiz? Apparently this West thought that double of a weak jump overcall was for penalties and so he chose to pass.
(2) This is taking the ‘automatic re-opening double’ to extremes. With a trump void it is rarely correct to double and 3♥ looks like the best bet to me.
(3) Not really knowing what to do, West decided to pass.
Table B: (1) This is the correct answer to question B, a negative double – provided that you have agreed to play them at this level
And what happened? Lots of spurious results, but three pairs did bid 4♥, = and +1 twice.
The bottom lines: -
- You have to agree how high you play negative doubles. Common options are 3♦ and 3♠ J
Dave’s Column Here is Dave’s first input on the play of the hand.
North South West North East South
♠ KJ1098 ♠ 7642 - 1♠ 2♣ 3♠ (1)
♥ AK ♥ 9643 5♣ 5♠ all pass
♦ A1083 ♦ J9765
♣ A2 ♣ - (1) pre-emptive
East leads the ♣K, what is your plan?
Dave’s Column answer Board 21 from Wednesday 28th
Dealer: ♠ KJ1098 Book bidding
North ♥ AK West North East South
N-S vul ♦ A1083 - 1♠ 2♣ 3♠ (1)
♣ A2 5♣ 5♠ all pass
♠ AQ3 N ♠ 5 (1) Pre-emptive.
♥ J872 W E ♥ Q105
♦ Q S ♦ K42
♣ 109653 ♣ KQJ874
♠ 7642
♥ 9643 East leads the ♣K, what is your plan?
♦ J9765
♣ -
Assuming that you have only one ♦ loser, you can afford one trump loser but not two. The % play in ♠’s for one loser is to finesse through West for the ♠Q. But if West has three ♠’s, you will need to finesse twice. Do you have two dummy entries?
Yes! Trump the ♣ at trick one and play a ♠ to your ♠J. When that holds, ruff the ♣A on table and lead another trump. 5♠ making exactly for 650.
And what happened at the Pattaya Bridge Club? 5♠*=, 5♠=, 5♠-2, 5♠-1, 4♠=, 5♣*-2, 4♣*-1, 4♣-1 and 2♠+3.
Dave’s 2nd Column Here is Dave’s second problem on the play of the hand.
West East West North East South
♠ KJ109542 ♠ 87 1♠ 3♣ pass pass
♥ AKQ ♥ 10984 4♠ all pass
♦ A5 ♦ Q876
♣ Q ♣ 754 North leads the ♣A and then the ♣K which you ruff, plan the play.
Dave’s 2nd Column answer Board 20 from Wednesday 28th
Dealer: ♠ Q Book Bidding
West ♥ 7632 West(A) North East South
both vul ♦ 9 1♠ (1) 3♣ pass pass
♣ AKJ9632 4♠ (2) all pass
♠ KJ109542 N ♠ 87 Table A
♥ AKQ W E ♥ 10984 West(A) North East South
♦ A5 S ♦ Q876 2♣ (1) 3♣ pass pass
♣ Q ♣ 754 3♠ pass 4♠ all pass
♠ A63
♥ J5 North leads the ♣A and then the ♣K, plan the play.
♦ KJ10432
♣ 108
Table A: (1) What did you open with this West hand A(a) in this week’s quiz? This is the bid from the article but I don’t understand it.
(2) The author says: ‘West has a powerful ♠ suit and only four losers. Opposite as little as the ♠Q or ♦K or ♣A, 4♠ would stand a very good chance. That prompted West to rebid 4♠ rather than 3♠.’
Table B: (1) I agree with the first two sentences of (2) above and in my opinion that means a 2♣ opener – and that is what I bid at the table and is my answer to question A.
I can see no logic in opening just 1♠ and then leaping to 4♠ when partner has shown nothing; if the hand is worth 4♠ here then it’s a 2♣ opener?
Anyway, whatever the bidding, dummy is a distinct disappointment if you ended up in 4♠, but you have to make the best of the situation. Your legitimate chance is to find the ♠Q singleton and so you should play the ♠K at trick three. When this does pin the singleton ♠Q, you lose just one ♠, one ♦ and one ♣.
It would be optimistic, and an error, to try to reach dummy by playing a ♦ towards dummy’s ♦Q, hoping that second hand might play low when holding the ♦K. Firstly, as North has already turned up with the ♣AK it is not very likely that he also has the ♦K for his weak jump to 3♣. Secondly, there is a risk that North started with a singleton ♦. If so, South can win one ♦ and play a 2nd ♦ to create a 2nd trump trick for N-S.
And what happened at the Pattaya Bridge Club? 4♠*-1, 4♠=, 4♠-1, 3♠= four times, 2♠+1, and 5♣*(N)-1. I note that just the one player managed to make ten tricks and he did indeed play the ♠K when he got in, just a lucky guess I suppose?
The bottom line. Terry Note: The author does not go into detail as to why playing for the singleton ♠Q is the only hope. The reason is that if ♠’s are 2-2 or 4-0 you lose whatever you do and if it is Qxx opposite A you still lose two tricks whatever you do, so given that you have no entries to dummy, the only hope is a singleton Q opposite Axx, so play the ♠K.
Paul’s Column
Instructive: Board 21 from Friday 30th
Dealer: ♠ J743
North ♥ KJ6 West North East South
N-S vul ♦ J987 - pass 2NT pass
♣ 108 6♣ (1) pass 6NT all pass
♠ 109 N ♠ AK62
♥ Q92 W E ♥ A1083 (1) Terry commemt: It might be prudent to
♦ 6 S ♦ AK try Gerber to be sure that there are not
♣ AK97652 ♣ Q43 two aces off the top.
♠ Q85
♥ 754
♦ Q105432
♣ J
I declared 6NT after an auction of 2NT, 6♣, 6NT. Partner's 6♣ bid was aggressive but it let me count 12 tricks in NT since I had the club fit.
A diamond was led and won perforce and I cashed my second diamond pitching a spade. The key play was next, cashing the Ace of hearts (Vienna Coup) to cater to one defender having sole control of spades and the King of hearts. This is merely good technique, the hoped for distribution seldom exists. South, on the run of the clubs and with a zillion diamonds to discard chose to discard a spade. Thus North now did have sole control of spades and the heart king! With dummy's last 3 cards the Qx of hearts and a spade North had to find a discard. The A, K, and 6 of spades took the last 3 tricks. Without cashing the Ace of hearts first declarer would block the heart Q as a threat. Certainly there was a defensive faux pas, but without setting the stage it would have been innocuous and overlooked.
Someone will no doubt point out to me that this particular squeeze would have worked against North without cashing the heart ace first by discarding from the suit North chooses to guard. My answer is that I don't always recognize which suit North guards, and by cashing the Ace first it operates against EITHER defender and removes all doubt. The heart King either is discarded or you play on spades.
Owing to the plethora of flawed "instant analyses" by opponents I would like to start a regular column:
"IT IS BETTER TO REMAIN SILENT AND BE THOUGHT A FOOL THAN TO SPEAK AND REMOVE ALL DOUBT"
My favorite from recent sessions concerns a player who pre-empted 3♣ in third seat holding the spade Axx on the side with ♣AJxxxxx. Cardinal sin number one: Never open a 3 level preempt with an outside ace or partner will never know when to sacrifice over the opponents’ high level contract. His LHO bid 3NT and his partner raised protectively to 4♣, thus taking us out of our only making game, and 3NT would have required inspired declarer play. I stretched a mile to bid a competitive 4♦ and now came cardinal sin number two: Do NOT preempt and bid again, your partner is in charge. To do so with extra defense and inviting a penalty is asinine/moronic/atrocious but he bid 5♣ which of course was doubled. -500 against a partscore?? At the conclusion of play, having played my partner for the spade king after I had shown precisely nothing outside Kxxxxx in diamonds to that point he justified his play with the statement "The NT overcaller should have had that card!". I couldn't contain myself. I said "I had to have something to bid at the four level". His three little words "No you didn't" removed all doubt.
Hilarious (and somewhat instructive if you are bold) Board 21 from Friday 30th
Dealer: ♠ J9
West ♥ 106543 West North East(D) South
N-S vul ♦ 109873 - pass 4♠ dbl
♣ 4 pass 5♥ pass pass
dbl all pass
♠ Q108 N ♠ AK6542
♥ QJ97 W E ♥ 2
♦ AQ52 S ♦ 6
♣ 95 ♣ AJ876
♠ 73
♥ AK8
♦ KJ4
♣ KQ1032
What did you open with this East hand D in this week’s quiz? I opened not ONE spade, but FOUR spades. Non-vul vs vul this had certain tactical advantages. Partner had already passed and with only two singletons in the red suits the opponents were likely to interfere with any constructive auction. Indeed, if they bid to 4 hearts I'd probably want to save. It put them to a high level guess, and LHO doubled as a "card showing" double. RHO assumed it was takeout and bid 5♥, which I passed to my partner who doubled (probably thinking of somewhere between 200 and 800). When the smoke cleared WE had taken 8 tricks and the vulnerable opponents were -1700! Two spades, two diamonds, diamond ruff with my singleton heart, ace of clubs and two hearts. I doubt many others thought of the tactical advantage of opening 4♠. For the record most partnerships play a double of a 4♠ opening as card-showing and 4NT as a (generally) two-suited takeout.
Weird: Board 6 from Friday 30th
Dealer: ♠ K1087
East ♥ 873 West North East South
E-W vul ♦ A1084 - - 1♣ 1♦
♣ J2 pass 2♦ pass pass
2♥ pass pass 3♦
♠ AJ54 N ♠ Q92 3♠ pass pass 4♦
♥ Q109542 W E ♥ K6 4♥ pass pass 5♦
♦ 5 S ♦ 97 pass pass dbl all pass
♣ 104 ♣ AK9853
♠ 63
♥ AJ
♦ KQJ632
♣ Q76
After a 1♣ opening by East, South overcalled 1♦. West passed! North raised to 2♦ passed around to West who only NOW saw his partner's 1♣ opening! 2♥ from our intrepid West passed to South who bid 3♦. Now our hero was in there with ... 3 SPADES. Passed to South (I was East and really didn't have a CLUE about what was going on) and South decided to bid 4♦. West was right there with 4♥! Having failed to respond initially he was NOT to be denied! Passed to South who now bid FIVE diamonds! When that was passed to me I had a pretty fair idea of what to do. +300. Four hearts could have made on perfect play, but what was SOUTH thinking about? What he had for breakfast?
< End of Paul’s Column>
Double a strong 1NT? Board 31 from Friday 30th
Dealer: ♠ 1086 West North East(C) South
South ♥ A6 - - - pass
N-S vul ♦ KJ9 pass 1NT 2♥ (1) all pass
♣ AQJ95
♠ KQ9 N ♠ A52 (1) What did you bid with this East hand C in
♥ 743 W E ♥ KQJ102 in this week’s quiz? I would not bid this
♦ A8542 S ♦ Q103 5-card ♥ suit, but double (penalties). Not all
♣ 86 ♣ K3 15 counts are good penalty doubles but this
♠ J743 one is because it has an obvious (♥) lead.
♥ 985
♦ 76
♣ 10742
And what happened? 4♥-1, 4♥= twice, 2♥+1, 2NT(W)= and 1NT(N)-3 twice. So it looks like NOBODY thought of doubling the 1NT opening which would have collected 500 or 800 for an absolute top.
The bottom lines.
- With a good 15 and a good lead, double a 1NT opening J