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For Junior, Intermediate and Novice players..and others: it’s Fri   day.

A Happy Christmas Story.

All Roads lead to…

It started as a problem but finished as a nice celebration, a lovely way to sign off before Christmas.

 

That is a nice hand but how nice? Does it qualify for a 2 game force opening? The recommended guideline is that if our high-card points plus the length of our two longest suits equals at least 29, then the hand does qualify for a 2 opening. (“The Rule of 29”).

In this case, the answer is “yes”, the total being 30 (21+9). You cannot guarantee game in your own hand, with its longest suit being a minor but you need so little help from your partner to make game somewhere worth bidding that “2” it is. If the 3 jacks are sometimes not worth 3 high card points, then the 2 10s more than make up the difference. 2!

Normally, one hears a negative 2 response from one’s partner but not today. Partner bids 2! Yes, you read that correctly! They should have at least 7 hcp and at least 5 spades. It is time to look for the 2 cards which we would require to consider slam, perhaps even grand slam, A and Q.

Roman Key Card Blackwood is a good approach. We can bid 4NT which by implication agrees spades as trumps, and will get a 5 (1 or 4) response. Good news so far. So, bid the next non-trump suit (5) to see if partner holds Q. They reply 5 saying they do not.

So, no more thoughts of grand slam but knowing that partner has more honour cards than A, we should certainly bid 6. Maybe they held Q. So 6 it is and your partner will hopefully be pleased with your dummy:

 

Notice that your partner responded 2 first, not 2 even though the heart suit is much stronger. With 2 5-card suits, we bid the higher one first as the bidding would be much easier if we do not immediately find a fit.

Against 6, West chose to lead a trump, not wanting to lead away from any of their honours. They felt the chances of finding any honours in their partner’s hand would be slim.

With 9 trumps missing the queen, the normal play is to play the ace then the king and hope the queen falls. That is definitely the best play where West led a trump as they are unlikely to have led a small spade ( 6) from three to the queen.

So, trumps are drawn in 2 rounds. Chances are now very good for all 13 tricks. South should play diamonds. Again, with AKJ53 opposite 94, the correct play is to cash AK rather than take the finesse. We ruff the third round, play Q and play A even if West plays low (they should play low as it is pointless covering) and then a 4^th round of diamonds ruffing again in the South hand.

Play A, K discarding a club and ruff a club and you can claim because dummy’s remaining diamond is high and the J can be ruffed in the South hand.

Gamblers might bid 7 and would indeed have to hold their breath as the top trumps were played. 6 is the best contract.
All roads lead to….. 

or they should do!

You should still reach 6 even if North had opened 1. After South’s 1 response, North is too strong even for 4. Again, they should chance Roman Key Card….and end up bidding 6.

So, most pairs should reach 6 and all should make 13 tricks. An average board? As you know, just about every time one bids and makes a slam, one gets an above average score. Such was the case here.

So, wishing all readers a happy time over the holiday period…and lots of good bridge in the New Year. These articles resume on 3^rd January.

Richard Solomon

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