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The Worth of a Minor Fit at Pairs.

Happy New Year to all readers. We can all hope for greater success at the table but let’s aim for greater enjoyment and somehow the other may be the result. It’s fun trying!

It’s great to find a good fit so early in the auction but we still need to develop the auction to reach the correct denomination as well as the right level. The problem is harder because the fit is in a minor suit…and the game is Pairs. (Who said it gets any easier in the New Year?)

 

 

We are playing a system where a change of suit at the 2-level promises just 10+ hcp and just a one-round force. What then is our second bid in the auction above?

There are some regrets from the Panel that we are not playing a “2 over 1” system where 3 would be 100% game forcing:

Michael Cornell “4: It is a shocking hand for the system (it’s 20 years out of date! ) I assume partner could be as bad as a soft 10-12 and could have three spades.

It would be good to just bid 3 and then get some idea of partner’s hand.

A grand is nearly cold opposite something like Kx Axx 10xxxxx Ax.

 

My initial thoughts were to splinter with 4 but this would give me a problem if partner bids 4 to play so I will bid 4 ( I assume forcing in the antiquated system?) which at least gives some flexibility and certainly suggests very strong diamonds.

Well, let’s sort out that last issue first. If 3 is strictly not-forcing, then 4 should be at least (!)100% forcing even if one does not play “2 over 1”. No-one really wants to play in 4 and 4 therefore is best played as a slam try and a hand similar to what Michael describes above.

 

Indeed, another Panellist takes 4 one step further:

Bruce Anderson “4: Minorwood. I would like to use less bidding space by bidding 3 forcing to hear partner’s rebid, one of the big advantages of playing 2/1, but it seems that is not possible.

If partner has only one ace, we play 5, and if partner show 2 aces and no queen of trumps (obviously) by bidding 4NT then it is difficult to imagine that we can’t make a small slam if partner has a genuine 2 level response in a minor over my 1 opener. Over the 4NT response a grand must be very good if partner has the K.  So I would make a king ask by way of 5, to which partner responds by bidding specific kings up the line.

If partner bids 6 over my 5 and I sign off in 6, and partner also holds the K, I think he/she should bid the grand as that card is surely what I am looking for. If partner does not hold that card, I sign off in a small slam.

 

But which small slam? and as Michael said, South could hold a modest flat 10- count when playing 5 might be a poor choice compared to 3NT or even maybe 4.

What then of our heart shortage? Can we and should we show it…and at what level?

Peter Newell “4: It consumes a lot of space which I don't like but it is descriptive and partner can cue bid or key card and will be able to evaluate his cards pretty well.  It also makes it clear that I want to play in diamonds having consumed so much room, (or spades if partner was bidding diamonds first before supporting spades).

 I don't think 3 is a splinter in this system, if so it would definitely be preferable.  I considered 4, but I think getting the heart shortage across is important. Also 3 given that the K is going to be important and when partner quite likely supports clubs, I could key card in clubs. However, that leaves partner’s spade holding as a clear risk to slam prospects.”

 

Kris Wooles “4: splinter agreeing diamonds. At Pairs, a lot of contracts could be right but I’m not giving up on diamond slams and will use the 4  splinter. Also should we end up in diamonds,  it will be played by partner who may have the K to protect.”

So, we have considerations like the club honours and partner’s spade holding. All up, it would be so much better if we could use 3 as a splinter bid…and maybe we can even if we are not playing 2 over 1:

Stephen Blackstock “3: 2 would be natural and forcing, so 3 is a splinter. The main issue with 3 is that partner will (rightly) expect a club card, but we will have room to resolve that. The main alternative is 4, which accurately describes a strong hand with values in my two suits but is very bulky and we need the extra bidding room after 3.

A common continuation by South will be 3NT, after which I can bid 4 as a clear slam try lacking club control. The advantage of this sequence is that 4NT from either hand will be natural and to play. In a Pairs context, we want to keep that option open.”

3 also allows partner to show secondary spade support below game level.

Wayne Burrows “3: splinter looks normal. I think it is normal for 1 2 2 to be forcing so 1 2 3 would be a splinter as two suiters with hearts can go through 2.”

Nigel Kearney “3: This is not perfect but communicates the diamond support and heart shortage and lets partner stop in 3NT with heart values, which could be important at matchpoints.”

Leon Meier “3: I think it is a reasonably normal 3 splinter bid this time around. We could be making slam opposite a balanced 11 count like

Kx

xx

Jxxxxx

AKx

Now another interesting question comes if partner rebids 3NT.”

Well, Stephen Blackstock showed us the way forward if that was what partner said.

There is some variation above in what partner needs for us to make slam. As North, we certainly need a top club honour and have already right-sided the auction if that honour is just the king. What though if partner’s response to 3 was 3? We may well have guided the auction away from the minor but to where?

 

 

For many, 4NT may well be key-card but in support of which suit? Was 4 above a cue-bid in support of spades or insisting that diamonds should be trumps?  If spades, the last agreed suit, then key-card will disclose both a key-card and the Q are missing. This gives North the opportunity to bid 6NT but that would be pure speculation that South holds heart honours. It seems we should try to sign off in 6.

 

This time, we want to be in 6 or 6NT but not 6. When North holds KQ and not KQ, 6 should be fine. Whichever partner does the asking, the absence of K will prevent a grand-slam being bid though the trick on this day is to avoid spades altogether: not so easy if we have “key-carded” in that suit.

That J makes 6NT a wonderful contract but even playing Pairs, bidding slam in our minor fit was worth a great score. Ask those who failed in 6.

Richard Solomon

 

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