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How Strong is a Strong No Trump? for less experienced players...and others..

A strong no-trump, whether as an opening bid or an overcall, is a powerful adversary. Yet, do not let it put you off bidding, well some of the time. You are unlikely to bid to slam after such a bid but game might still be in the offing…

 

Your partner opened the bidding and your right-hand opponent calls 1NT (15-17/18). You are playing a 5-card major system. You have a reasonable hand. What to bid?

You resisted the temptation to open a weak 2 in diamonds (no great bid with a decent four card spade suit on the side) and now find you have a spade fit…but West has a decent hand with a spade hold. So how high should we go? Our Panel are split four ways:

Kris Wooles “3: quantitative and descriptive.  Despite the NT overcall, we could still have game on. I am tempted to bid 4 but partner is 3rd in hand.”

Peter Newell “3:  In the absence of any agreements, I assume this to be a sound raise and not a pre-emptive raise. I’m not that keen on doubling on distributional hands with a fit as West most likely has a spade stopper (otherwise likely to run from 1NT doubled if necessary) and usually the king and could easily reel off 5 club tricks and have an outside ace when we are making part-score or even game in spades. Partner will not be running with 12+ points. Some play 2NT as a good spade raise or better if I thought partner would understand.”

Bruce Anderson “3: a miracle game might be making but 3 must have a play even if partner is not all that strong.

I am not doubling for penalties as E/W are likely to have a big fit in either hearts or clubs, which they will then find without difficulty. A pre-emptive bid of 3 is likely to end the auction, hopefully to our advantage.”

 

Some disagreement as to the meaning of 3 there but a general disapproval of the double. Bruce’s last point about the opponents finding a fit is certainly true.

However, there were two fans of double. One of them is:

Julie Atkinson “Double: Partner knows I am a passed hand. If they are a light opener, they will bid again. I have an easy spade lead.”

not to 1NTx of course as "the sheriff" would be called! I am sure, though, that someone will pull the double.

 Taking the “fast road” are:

Stephen Blackstock “4: Awkward, because I don’t have the invitational sequence I might otherwise choose opposite a third seat green opening. 3 would be a pre-empt, and I am concerned that 3 might be taken as non-forcing also. If South is near to a normal opening, we will usually have play or the contract may be cold. We could even have a slam but finding quality trumps (the 10 might be crucial), aces and a diamond card will be too difficult. I don’t fancy double as 1NT can easily make, especially if partner has little in clubs and no A, and if we do no better than +100, it is bound to be a terrible result.”

Nigel Kearney “4: We have a very good hand in support of spades. I expect 4 to do better than 1NTx and don't want to make it easy for them to get their suit(s) into the auction. If RHO is the sort of person who might have psyched, I would consider starting with 2NT to avoid missing a slam.”

Well, whatever your agreement is or is not, 2NT would be forcing even if your partner might initially be confused!

Michael Cornell “4: Anything could be right but partner can be minimum or sub minimum even with KJxxx and Ax and we are close to cold very often. RHO has certain spade shortage and so especially if partner is light, it can be their hand.

The perfect bid would be 4, fit-showing, but I play it as a splinter!”

But a real splinter from:

 Pam Livingston “3:  Splinter. My A is sitting over the strong hand as is my lovely diamond suit. I can see a potential game despite the strength of RHO and showing my singleton club will help partner evaluate. I am a passed hand and so partner is going to sit up and think about the meaning of this slightly unusual action.  I must have a distributional hand with 4+ spades or I would most likely double 1NT.

 

If I double 1NT, it is highly unlikely to be passed out and I won't have got my hand across, so that judgment for me and partner will be more difficult.”

 

and easier for the opponents, too.

At the table, I was not sure how many spades to bid and so delayed the decision, perhaps fatally, but I was sure someone would run from 1NTx. So, though not being a fan of the double, I did double and the auction that followed is below:

 

Well, it was not passed out but as predicted, the opponents found their fit but strangely did not compete to the 5 level. In 5x by East, the standard Q lead will see the contract down 1 but it could be even worse for the defence if West gets to be declarer and North leads A or a diamond.

Meanwhile 5 by South is likely to be made unless West finds a miracle under-lead of the A at trick 1 followed by a heart switch.

After A lead, West is well and truly end-played and their best exit is a low spade though the 1NT overcall should have given away the location of the K. At the table West cashed A at trick 2 and followed up with a second diamond won in dummy. Now, declarer can play a heart to the ace (no finesse!) to play Q, winning the second round in dummy, setting up diamonds with one ruff and re-entering dummy with a spade to the 7 to discard all South’s hearts and make 11 tricks.

No slam this time but no need to be afraid of the strong no-trump. Would East have bid 5 had you bid a direct 4? That seems less likely than giving their opponents the opportunity of bidding clubs after a lower-level action than immediate 4. For better or for worse, that seems to be the value action for North.

Which way forward?

 

No matter how few clubs 1 promised, you should know more about your partner’s club suit now. You play 2 as a one round force (or stronger). What do you bid now? You are playing Pairs.

Richard Solomon

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