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“ Game Forcing” Bids?

Two pieces of interesting hand evaluation thrust  partnerships up into the slam zone..but would they drive on to too high a level? Let’s see:

The first board offered both partners a chance to value their hands. Let’s take the second piece of evaluation first:

 K543

 K965

 KQ83

 Q

This is your hand as North and this is the bidding so far:

West              North            East                South

                                                                        1

Pass                1                   Pass                4

Pass                ?

4 is a splinter…and before my mail-box is inundated with questions as to why you, North, did not bid 1 first time round (as you should with a game-going responding hand), let’s just say North had their reasons!

That’s part A to the question. Part B is would your answer be any different if 4 guaranteed a void?

We know that a holding of KQxx is not great opposite a singleton or a void but does that mean you should sign-off here? Signing off would mean that were partner to hold  A7  AQT8  6  AKT753, they would have to sign off as well. You responded on a six count, including wasted diamond honours. Can partner even risk the five level?

Well, even leaving aside those diamond honours, you have got more than a six count and have a card of huge potential value, that Q. With you at the wheel, every suit is protected at trick 1. Opposite what might be a singleton diamond, it may be a marginal decision. Opposite a void, I feel one just has to move. The only drawback this time was that a Key Card response took you into the slam zone:

 

“Thanks for the extra heart, partner” but we were still left with the problem of finding the J. Not one of the 8 declarers found this card successfully. For three of them, it proved very expensive as they were in 6.

What then of that 4 bid? I believe there are times where you can force to game without having to make a game force bid. Such an occasion is where you have minimal points. With both opponents quiet, surely North will have enough high card strength to raise to game over 3? You may argue that 3 from South on their second turn would have sent North slamwards too. Maybe but  North could have expected more than 11 hcps for the game force. Yes, even a 12 count would have helped…that J! You do not need to guess from which compass seat I was viewing this board..and perhaps had hearts broken 2-2, the discussion might have revolved around reaching rather than avoiding this slam.

On then to the next decision.

 AQ764

 T5

 A4

 A853

and you are South:

West              North            East                South

                                                                        1

Pass                2                   Pass                ?

 

You have a nice 14 count and opposite partner’s presumed 10+ (you are playing Acol), you know that you are heading to game. Do you let partner in on the secret or do you make a “hold your breath that partner bids again” 2 call? There is a third kind of inbetween bid, whichever no-trump bid shows 15-17 balanced. Yes, only 14, but you have just said you want to be in game. So, call it 15.

What’s your choice? The downside of a no-trump bid is your lack of a heart hold. Indeed, if you decide on upgrading by one point, then should you bid 3… and then get rather nervous as the bidding proceeds:

West              North            East                South

                                                                        1

Pass                2                   Pass               3

Pass                3 ¹                Pass               3

Pass                4NT                Pass                5 ²

Pass                5 ³                Pass                5NT⁴

Pass                7NT                All Pass

¹ 4^th suit forcing

² 0 or 3 key cards in support of spades. It’s no time to lie!

³ Asks for Q and outside kings

^{4 “}Yes” to the Q but “no” to outside kings.

 

and partner looks at your dummy after a low heart lead….and does not claim!

Indeed, after the 8 lead, the play was extremely drawn out but, this time, every card was where the declarer wanted it to be!

 

After West inserted the Q at trick 1, the declarer ended with 16 tricks! It was definitely correct to bid 3 this time but the lie of the cards is, as we know to our frequent cost, not always that friendly.

Richard Solomon

 

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