All News

     Two-way mirror.

Same Board :Different Seats.

It is not often you are asked to bid for one side and then defend for the other on the same board. You would think, then, that with some inside knowledge of declarer’s hand, that the defence would be easy!

The question posed yesterday about this was about defending. The question posed to the Panel involved bidding.

“What action would you take with the following South hand after your right-hand opponent opened with a Weak 2 in spades? Would it make any difference whether you were playing Teams or Pairs?”

 

You could overcall to maybe try for a diamond part-score, pass and probably defend or maybe “steal a point” and call your hand a strong no-trump type (15-18) by calling 2NT. The danger in bidding is that the strength of West is unknown with your ace-less hand being rather susceptible to an expensive penalty double.

On the other hand, especially in Pairs, -110 may be a terrible result. So…fearless...

Peter Newell “3: Yes, partner’s a passed hand, and our shape is flat, but my suit and hand isn’t too bad. So, I want to compete and don’t want to let them play 2…"

But there is only one other bidder:

Kris Wooles “2NT: it is certainly a negative that partner has passed but North may still have enough for 3NT. Generally, I like to be aggressive over a weak 2 bid and accept 2NT is aggressive. If West doubles, then North can still bid a suit if weak and South can still run to 3. On balance, I think 2NT gives better options than 3 assuming I choose not to pass. I would likely bid the same at Teams but acknowledge pass will appeal to some."

Indeed, it does, Kris….and not just at Teams, either:

Matt Brown “Pass: It's a pass for me at both forms of scoring.“

And, as much as he hates to do so:

Michael Cornell “Pass: Pass, Pairs or Teams- not my favourite bid!

Opposite a passed partner, I have more chance of giving away 500-1100 than getting 400 (that requires almost a maximum pass with a bit of a diamond fit)

The major risk in passing is missing the part score in 3 when opponents cannot make anything but at Teams a max of -6 imps (when2 makes), at Pairs a joint bottom but I have scored the odd one in my career!”

Nigel Kearney “Pass: in both cases. 2NT (or 3) has to cover a wide range of good hands. It's too hard for partner if we also bid it on mediocre hands like this one where game will be marginal even if partner has enough to balance.”

Bruce Anderson “Pass: same at Teams; partner is a passed hand. So, I am not putting my head on the block with 3; K is a likely asset but a 5332 hand lacks playing strength. Partner is still there.”

So, the passers win the day even at Pairs. However, Bruce hinted that your Pass need not and indeed did not end the auction. Your “passed partner” might indeed be maximum for their pass….and they were. You could hardly deny them. It had to be 3NT now.

That, then took us to yesterday’s defensive problem:

 

 

South’s jump to game is a little surprising from a hand that had passed your Weak 2 opening.

Your partner leads J which holds the first trick. Partner continues with 5 which you win with A. Unfortunately, you do not see theK appear! Which card do you play to trick 3?

We can pass over East’s decision to open their Weak Two with a four-card heart suit on the side. Some do. They often survive, though not always. Declarer, with K94, made the standard play of ducking the J lead, trying to isolate the spade suit in the East hand. West continued spades with East taking their ace.

With no entry to run their spade winners (QJ would be very unlikely to provide one), East has a choice of plays. They can either pretend they have an entry and play a third round of spades or tell the world (at least declarer!) that they do not by exiting something passive or perhaps helpful to their partner.

There is also the danger of playing a third round of spades that your partner might have difficulty in finding a discard. That was indeed the case.

 

West does have a safe discard available and that is a heart but, with spades ready to be cashed, South may not want to take the heart finesse as that might prove to be East’s “imaginary” entry. So, a diamond or a club? As you can see, the club is safe though would cost a trick if East held Qx  or Jx: a diamond is not safe.

So, on balance, East would do better to expose themselves as having no entry and exit as passively as they can, Q. It would then take a very inspired view from South to take a second- round diamond finesse of 10 through West (after the first round went to the K and A and West continued a club). If they do that, then they will have truly earnt their +430. Otherwise, they would have wished they had overcalled 3 and played there.

At the table, the Q was East's exit, though when in with the A, West did not continue clubs..and declarer survived. (three hearts, three diamonds, two clubs and that rather valuable K).

Redouble: lots of trouble!

We do not use this bid much but when we do, it can cause some heartache for at least one player at the table. Is it you?

 

Maybe you should have: maybe you should have not. You did make a re-opening double. What does your partner’s pass mean? What now?

Richard Solomon

 

Go Back View All News Items