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Opposite Approaches.

Game values? If you have them, and you have a 4-4 major fit, then it seems a good idea to play in 4 of that major. Normally. With less than game values, it can also be correct to seek out a major fit, too. One hand below took that to rather extreme proportions.

However, let’s begin at the 1 level, a take-out double, a major fit established at a very low level. What to do next?

what bid would you make, if any, on the following South hand:

1 showed 4+ clubs.

Our Panel were divided.

Peter Newell “Pass: Close to bidding 2, particularly at Teams.  While we have 17hcp, it is a very poor 17hcp (Jacks, not great) , the club honours look poorly place, shape is terrible, partner couldn’t overcall or jump to 2 – so game is unlikely and even opposite a “balancing double”, game looks unlikely and more likely to get too high than not high enough.  I will bid 2 if I get a second chance and at Teams, I would bid 2 at times…”

Slightly more positive than Peter are:

Matt Brown “2: should be about (the worth of) this hand. I think it has to promise extras when there isn't any competition.”

Julie Atkinson “2: Since I was in the re-opening position, partner will expect that I have added a king to my hand-borrowed from theirs. Their bid is therefore a bit wider range than it might be if I had made an immediate double, but I do expect partner has 4 hearts.

A raise to 2 would generally show a hand of intermediate values – (15)16-18ish. But in the pass out seat double and bidding shows a little less. (This agreement helps give us permission to bid with less value in the pass out seat than we would normally have.) Normally, when an opponent opens, we are unlikely to have game, and whilst it feels like my hand is good enough for    3, the fact that the opener is sitting over my hand, my hand being so balanced and my hearts being less than optimum-I am going for 2.

Very true but there is something else to consider here. Had you not been in the balancing seat, would you not have called 1NT first time? What does 1NT mean second time round?

Michael Cornell “1NT: Easy for me- over a minor, I play 1NT in the last seat as about 11-14. So, I bid 1NT here, 15-17(18).

We can always get back to ♥️ if partner is distributional but I think it’s best to describe my hand accurately at this point.”

In agreement are:

Nigel Kearney “1NT: Obviously this is a bit weird with four card support but it looks good to declare from my side. My hand is flat so hearts will not usually play two tricks better. Also, I'm a bit good for 2 but 3 may be too much, whereas 1NT is exactly right on values.”

Bruce Anderson “1NT: Notwithstanding the heart fit, I am rebidding 1NT, showing a flat hand of 14/17 points. Having the strong hand as declarer is a big plus. Not good enough to raise hearts; partner has denied 8-10 points and the outstanding honours are almost certain to sit badly. My second choice is to pass 1.

Not quite sure I agree with your point-counts, Bruce, as I would bid 1NT in the pass-out seat with up to 15 while a jump to 2 over the double is normally 9-11 hcp. However, I do agree with your approach and bid.

Kris Wooles “1NT: showing what I would like to bid reflecting hand structure and points despite the heart fit. Definitely would like the lead to be coming from West. 

The effect of the balancing no-trump means that a 1NT rebid here is less than the normal 18-20 it shows. The shape of our hand and its high-card strength certainly veer one towards no-trumps despite the heart fit. At the table, someone had to bid no-trumps and that realistically had to be you:

 

North was blissfully unaware of the heart fit and invited game, an invitation you would accept. Unless West had rather a death-wish of leading clubs twice, 4 had no play with the bad trump break and would have been tough even without it. What then 3NT? It would have been easy enough on a club lead though West chose a spade instead and continued spades when there were in firstly with A and then A.

However, they had no escape when declarer played off their two heart and two diamond winners before taking a club finesse. West won and took their winning spade but had to concede the last two tricks to South in clubs…9 tricks made.

As our 1NT Panelists said, it was far better having West on lead than East. It was a great time to deny a heart fit with the 1NT bid being almost legitimate!

So, South’ s plan was to deny the fit they found. Our second South had the opposite plan..to find that fit when others might not bother!

How many times would you bid on the following two-count as South with your partner silent?

 J9842

 –

 JT8542

 96

The answer is one time for each high-card point held! In other words:

If they have got a fit, then so have we!

Nil Vul, Pairs

West              North            East                South

                                              1NT                Pass (happy with that?)

2                   Pass              3                 4 (remember the title above?)

4                   Pass                Pass             4 (still searching)

X                      All Pass

1NT was 12-14 with 2 a transfer to hearts. 3 said “I do like hearts” with West having the values to go to game.

With 10 tricks the absolute maximum in a heart contract, West was right to double but their low heart lead proved disastrous:

 

South’s bidding did suggest that they would not have too many hearts. In that case and with the more likely intention of cutting down ruffs, West might have chosen to start with the A. The club switch would then not have been quite so hard to find though they did not have to find it as long as East did when they got on lead with a second trump or a diamond.

Those defences would have led to down 1. The fate of 4 would have depended on how the declarer played the trump suit. Any bid from South (indicating heart shortage) or a double of 4 from North would have made West’s task easier.

An alternative approach would have been for South to call 4 over 3, leaving East on lead to 4x. One hopes they would not start off with the A.

Alas for West, that heart lead against 4x meant no club trick for the defence (discard on K) and – 590. Certainly, South’s desire to find a trump fit bought them a rather good dummy.

Sometimes you have a fit and avoid it. Other times, you just keep looking!

Just an opening lead for tomorrow. “Just” you may ask? So, they can be critical. “Can”? You have just seen one that was!

 

 

You are playing 5-card majors. Thus, partner usually bids 2 with just three spades, as you have other ways to show more spades. Nothing fancy, 6-9 hcp.

Richard Solomon

 

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