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They Do Not Come Very Often….

Especially when your partner opens a strong 1NT! So, enjoy the minute or two bidding such a hand and hopefully you can have a sensible auction to the right spot. One such hand occurred last weekend in the South Island Pairs. What is this rare occurrence?

A 9 card suit with a 4 card suit on the side:

 AKQJT6543

 Q932

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and trump support from partner too (1NT opening). Michael Ware was one of those who held the above hand and who heard a strong no trump opening from partner. He devised a plan to see if he could find out about heart controls. He transferred to spades and jumped to 4, a splinter bid (singleton or void ) in support of his own suit.

"Do you have these cards, partner, especially the ace?!"

There was just one problem. It was unlikely that partner would be very enthused with his own spade support. In fact, Glenn Coutts, Michael’s partner, could not have had worse spade support. He had no support at all!

 

Glenn could not bring himself to bid 4 and the grand opportunity was gone.

Only four of the 10 pairs got to slam and none to 7. However, two of the four slam bidders got to the very safe 6NT from the West seat and scooped all the match-points in scoring the overtrick.

It is not mandatory to open the West hand 1NT. For weak no-trumpers, they did not have that option. Interference of a 1 overcall from North after a 1 opening from West might help. East calls their suit, with South jumping pre-emptively to 3. That would silence West and provoke a 4 cue from East. However, it does seem unlikely that West would show the two top hearts in support of his singleton, or even the A.

With no interference, the bidding might go:     West       East

                                                                         1          1

                                                                         2          2 ( East can bid 3 here if forcing or a forcing change of suit if not). However, the problem of finding out the aces West holds remains, unless you are playing CRO responses to Blackwood where the 2 aces can be identified. CRO for kings, too?

There is no point in discussing system here. The chances of a 9400 shape are about 0.00097%. So, the armoury for exploration need not be part of your system.

There is one way to get to grand…just bid it…and watch as partner puts down two little hearts and no entry to minor ace kings as they led…a trump, a suit your partner does not hold! Playing Pairs, it is only one bottom, after all!

Richard Solomon

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