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An unusual development.

A short and seemingly rather sweet auction is suddenly hijacked by an opponent in a rather unusual way. As declarer, you were about to see the dummy and then this happened!

 

 

 

1NT was 12-14 and partner’s 2 showed both major suits, at least 4-4. Partner accepted your 3 invite…and then in came West.

What now? You are playing Teams.

We asked our Panel whether they were satisfied with our 3 invite or whether they would have bid straight to 4…and then what action they would over 4, if any.

Peter Newell “Pass: it is not clear who is making what. It must be clear to partner that I have a spade shortage (West must have 6+, East 2+ and partner 4+) so apart from a 5^th heart, I have pretty close to what partner will expect, whereas I have no idea whether partner has 4 small spades or QJ10xx or somewhere in between – so leave it to partner.

That seems to be the common view.

Michael Ware “Pass: Bidding in front of partner when we don't know what to do seems very wrong - unanimous surely!

Nearly right, Michael. What concerns me is that we do know a little more about East’s hand. More of that in a minute. Addressing the first part of our question too are:

Nigel Kearney “Pass. I would have bid 4 last time probably unless partner is known to be very frisky in entering the auction vulnerable. I have a nice hand and we are not in a force but partner knows what his spades are and I don't and my hand type will not be too much of a surprise to him after I chose not to double 4.”

Bruce Anderson “Pass: I agree with 3. I am presuming partner is aware of the vulnerability and he/she has put their head on the block when there is undisclosed strength in the West hand. With 5 card support for hearts, I am not bidding anything less. If the 2 bid guaranteed 5/5 I would have bid game.

 I am passing 4. I am not bidding 5 and risking being too high when our opponents are in 6/3 fit at best. Partner has at least 4 spades and a good hand; he/she is likely to welcome the opportunity to penalize.”

Some “welcomes” are less than friendly! The need to disturb the no-trump opening necessitates as little as 4-4 as being permitted for the 2 bid.

 

Pam Livingston “Pass: I would like to know more about my partner and how aggressive vs sound they are in this situation. Given the vulnerability, this 2 interference could be quite weak and I'm told the agreement is that 2 is 4+/4+.  

2is enough for me.  Void in partner’s other suit is not a plus here.  A couple of rounds of trumps and the hand is a mess.  It doesn't really seem like we need to pre-empt the auction either.  I will compete to 3.

 

I am passing 4. Even more certainly passing 4 if I had started with 3. Subsequent action is up to partner.”

Certainly, our hand is not so good if most of our partner's values are in spades.

 

Stephen Blackstock “Pass: Do I agree with 3? It depends….. If my options are limited to the very basic ones of bidding 2, 3, or 4, 3 isn’t wrong but I prefer 4. The outcome will depend more on how the hands fit rather than on whether South thinks he has a maximum. Five trumps in the dummy would help too. However, if I have to guess I may as well take the guess with a vulnerable game bonus if I am right.

What this hand clearly demonstrates is that N/S need methods to show values in a specified side suit along with interest in a major game, or to ask South if he has a shortage. That information would help a lot with judging whether game is likely to be playable.

 

Over 4, I pass. It is unthinkable to act ahead of South when I really have no idea what either side might make, and South may have a strong opinion. Commonly when we bid a vulnerable game the pass of an opponent’s subsequent bid would be forcing and we will not let them play undoubled. However, that rule can only apply when it is clearly our hand on the weight of high cards, and not here where our values can be principally big distribution. For me, double would say ‘we have the balance of power partner, now you  

decide whether to defend or bid on’. I am not strong enough to send that message so I tell partner I have more shape than high cards and leave him to decide.”

It is interesting whether we could use the bids of 2NT, 3 and 3 over 2 to either tell partner more about our hand and at the same time tell partner which is the trump suit. Certainly, since we only invited game, our pass of 4 cannot be forcing. What concerns me with the pass is that we are very two-suited and our partner does not know that for sure.

 

One can play the jump to 3 as pre-emptive, using the forcing 2 either as equal length in the majors or a game try in one major. Alternatively, use a forcing 2NT to enquire:

 

Andy Braithwaite “Pass: Happy with the bid but think it is more pre-emptive than invitational – 2NT was available to enquire re strength.

I have nothing to add so pass and let partner decide what to do next.”

 

and deviating from the rest of the Panel is:

 

Kris Wooles “5: Definitely do not agree with 3. Would have bid 4 in a shot. 

Partner has raised my “invite” to 4 so would likely have good hearts AQxxx or better. I would expect West to have a maximum of one heart. Also, West presumably did not bid spades originally given the 2C showed the majors and it might cause confusion. 

 

If I pass now, then South is likely to double and while having four spades (likely) they might expect tricks in hearts. So, rightly or wrongly I am now bidding 5. 

 

Peter Newell is correct in that our partner knows we have at most one spade. Is that enough for them to make the correct decision here with the North hand below?

 

 

The North-South hands do not really fit outside of hearts and yet bidding on was the right decision on the night. That seems tough for South to judge. They are unaware that the heart fit is so good and thus bidding 5 is correct not to make but as a sacrifice!

There are 10 fairly comfortable tricks in 4 but 4 is even easier to make even without the knowledge that South has 4 trumps.

While it would certainly be wrong for North to bid 5 if one swapped the K and K (and surely South is more likely to hold the king of their major suit), it is the hand with shape, the North hand, which normally bids to the 5-level.

The best kind of….

I think North can place the West hand as holding 6 reasonable spades and not much else for their arrival into the auction, though the strength or lack of, of South’s spades is only known to South. That is why it is somewhat undisciplined for North to act in front of their partner. Lack of discipline would this time have reduced the loss of a double game swing with 4 making at the other table.

Tough for both North and South.

 

Richard Solomon

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