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A “Vulnerable” King.

Or so it might seem to any East player who found themselves in a bit of a quandary in a sequence like the following. It is all very well trying for a slam but not so good when you lose the first two tricks because of a king badly placed from the declaring side’s point of view.

 

 

 

Well, you have a good hand but where are you going now? 2 was a standard Multi unfolded as a Weak 2 in hearts. You showed a good hand by doubling..and partner jumped. What now?

The jump is not exactly in your best suit and partner would need to have at least a 6-card suit to fulfil high ambitions in the slam zone. Should we be thinking that high when West could not take any action over 2?

Staying in game are:

Nigel Kearney “5: Interesting problem. Partner has invitational strength but has gone past 3NT so must have plenty of shape. If opponents can be relied on (always a doubtful assumption), he is probably short in a black suit not hearts, e.g. - Jxx KJxxxx KJxx or KJx Qxx Kxxxxx x. My understanding of 4 in this kind of auction is that it suggests a flexible hand with a spade suit, not a one suiter. I could do that here but my spades are poor and diamonds are good so I'll just bid 5. It's hard to investigate slam and I think there are too many potential problems for me to bid it myself.”

Andy Braithwaite “5: Would like to bid 6 from my side to protect K but sadly that is not possible and I cannot see enough tricks for 6NT - so I can only bid 5.”

Others take “the bull” and head for what they hope is the safe slam, protecting their K on the opening lead:

Pam Livingston “6NT: Right siding the contract.  Partner has long diamonds headed by the king as well as some other values.  She went past 3NT which she would be loath to do.  Double is take-out of hearts in the first instance.   When South passes, it can be assumed they hold hearts so 3 would then be asking for a stop for NT.”

Peter Newell “6NT: I’m not that keen on the bid and it’s a bit of a stretch but don’t like the alternatives much.  To jump to 4, I expect partner to have a good playing strength hand (so long/good diamonds) but not many high card points – maybe 8? – as to go past 3NT partner is likely to have an unsuitable hand.  So, my hand looks pretty good with AQ doubleton and sharp cards.  

However, K is likely to have the ace is sitting over it. So, it looks like the contract needs to be played from my side. As 4NT is likely key card, it looks like I either need to bid 6NT, bid a quiet 5 wrong sided, or probe with some kind of cue bid or key card…as those bids don’t appeal, I’ll try 6NT. I expect 7 diamonds tricks, and 4 black suit tricks (I think quite likely partner has a black king and good diamonds) and hopefully 1 more somewhere..maybe a heart lead….6NT does have the risk that partner likely needs a black king potentially as an entry to the diamonds if we need to over-take the second round of diamonds in partner’s hand.

and on their way

Bruce Anderson “4NT: RKC, ostensibly agreeing diamonds as trumps. If, as seems likely, partner has a hand with at least 5 diamonds and 9-11 points, slam is possible, which must be played from my side if we are missing the A. If partner shows only one key card (most likely K) I will check for outside kings and if partner has both black kings, bid 6NT.”

and confirming another reason why 4 just has to have lots of diamonds:

Michael Cornell “4NT: assuming we are playing Lebensohl here, 4 must be pretty good but it was not good enough for a 3overcall?

Still cannot be worse than about 10+points and a 6+ suit. Opposite 1 Key-Card, I will bid 6NT and if I get 2 will look for 7 with 5NT.”

 

Stephen Blackstock “ 5NT. Pick a slam. I’m expecting KJ10xxxx and at least one more A/K opposite so slam should have a play at worst.

 

Logically only diamonds and no trumps can be the options given the auction to date. Partner should realise that I am concerned about a lead through my heart holding. If he is looking at a singleton heart he is welcome to try 6, which may have an extra chance from ruffing the spades good.

 

It’s true I am giving up on the grand I might reach via a key card ask, but if we are missing one key (presumably A) then taking that route would compel me to bid 6NT when 6 may be a better small slam. A 4 cue bid will run into the same diamonds or NT guess unless West has enough values to drive to seven – and if he has a diamond void, he won’t be sure there isn’t an ace missing.”

 

 

 

When you see the West hand below, you might ask why they did not overcall 3 in the first place, though the suit quality is somewhat lacking. Both Michael and Bruce would presume the one key-card response was the K and if South was inspired enough to lead the J, then both panellists will go possibly through a few nightmares in their chosen contract:

 

 

 

I would imagine a declarer in 6NT would deduce that South had to have something other than QJ and J for their Multi opening and might record a rather nervy +1020.

Meanwhile, 6NT has no problems on any other lead. 6 is annoyingly bullet-proof too, annoyingly for those who opted for caution.

Many words have been written of opening a weak or Multi 2 with four cards in the other major. Some just do not care and if this time it kept their opponents out of slam, then they will carry on with their heads held high!

The board occurred in the qualifying rounds of the recent New Zealand Teams with 39 out of the 70 East-West pairs failing to bid to slam.

Scott Smith was in 6NT after Graham Stronach (South) had opened 2 and did receive J lead. He gave Graham hope by crossing to dummy with a club to play a low diamond… but life is full of disappointments as Scott pulled out the A to his, Scott’s, great relief!

 
a fallen king, a smile and a beer for Scott!

 

A Tricky Number.

 

 

 

Teams.

Where to from here?

Richard Solomon

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