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A STRANGE TWIST.

An interesting board today in many ways. It took place last Sunday evening in the NZ Bridge on-line Pairs, Open section.
The first point of interest was the choice of opening bid by the first player likely to speak, East.

What would you open with the following hand, playing Match-Point Pairs?

 

 

We did not specify system to our Panel. For instance, for some who open 2 with 5 spades and 4+ of a minor, less than an opener, this hand fits the bill. That is not really the case if your 2 opener is weak but promises a 6-card suit. Up there at the 2-level are:

Andy Braithwaite “2: In third seat, I think it is wise to be as destructive as possible and if playing a multi 2 THEN 2 should show 5 spades and a 5-card minor with 6 -10 points. Alternative bids are 1 to show a reasonable hand or 1 as lead directional but for me this hand can be better described with 2 as long as it systemically shows 55 shape.” Similarly:

Peter Newell “2: On a good day, we will make 4. On other days, 4 will be a good dive.  If 2 is +minor, it is a very clear action (1 or 1 are misdirected in terms of high card strength and 1 makes it easy for the opponents to bid over), if 2 is a weak 2, then it is certainly flawed with a poor 5 card suit vulnerable, and likely needing good spade or club support otherwise the hand will fall apart in spades (i.e., Will not be able to draw trumps and set up clubs without being forced off).

 I lean towards 2 even if a weak 2, providing that my partner will be too surprised by a 5-card suit (no doubleton raises please...).  What are the options?

Pass - not for me with such playing strength and why make it easy for South...

1 - again make it easy for South and don't much like a weak 5/6 where I will not be able to show the 5^th spade...

1 ugh ..which only leaves

 3 -again rather offbeat but would be my second choice (the clubs are good and the spades are bad. So, let’s pre-empt in my best suit. Having a major can make it hard for the opponents to judge)  Non vul I would consider 4.  I do not think I'll have too much support for 3, but would rank it a close second choice to 2 for me.

I gave up pre-empting in a minor with spades on the side as every time we missed a spade fit!

This next bid received a 3-letter word from Peter:

Michael Cornell “1: Anything could be right but I will try1. If we have a fit there, it could even be our hand despite my effective mere 7 count. 4 is virtually cold opposite KJxx and Kx.

Pass is tempting and then come in with a Michael’s bid but the bidding could easily get too high to risk this. Playing Pairs, a lot would depend on how we are going and what we are trying to achieve at this point in time!”

and Peter did not agree with this choice, either:

Nigel Kearney “Pass: Next time I hope to be able to cue bid showing a two suiter. Finding our best suit could be important. I have too much playing strength for a 2 opening and a 1 opening will not pre-empt them so is unlikely to leave us better placed than an initial pass.”

Yet, how bad is our hand? Holding one decent suit and considerable length in the “boss suit”, why are we so concerned about pre-empting the opponents? I am with:

 

Bruce Anderson “1: I don’t cotton to weak two bids showing a five- card major and a minor. Obviously, there is pre-emptive value but trying to find a fit at the 3 level if partner does not fit the opening major is a risk I am not prepared to take, especially if vulnerable. I should get the chance to show my spade suit and while I am very weak in high cards, the 6/5 shape means if we do fit this is a hand with a lot of potential.

 

Stephen Blackstock “1: I hope to have a chance to bid spades at the two level later. I understand 1. It is more likely we can compete effectively in spades than clubs but starting that high may lose the opportunity to show clubs at all. In addition, if we defend I certainly prefer a club lead.

2 as a weak two is too wild to contemplate vulnerable on Q9xxx; 2 showing 5/5 or 5/4 (!) is unsound at the best of times, and vulnerable with this spade suit is not one of those. Even -200 could be a zero as my shape suggests bad breaks for N/S and partner will need only a scattering of values for game the other way to be defeated.”

 

Revolutionary! Opening our longest suit first! Note also Stephen’s comment about being on defence. You probably should not be defending on this deal, unless one’s opponents reached the 6-level though even then, you might regret that your partner had the opportunity to lead a spade.

 

 

 

At our table, East did open 1 with West being forced to decide what to do over South’s 4 bid. In a sense, they chose wrong by bidding 5. A take-out double would have been more normal and probably more successful. However, at least, West knew which black suit to lead to 5, as that bid by South closed the auction.

 

After the club lead, the defence could sit back and collect two heart tricks, or a very unkind ruff to go with the A. A spade lead at some tables saw this contract make for the loss of just two heart tricks.

 

Either a spade opening, or a negative double from West should see East plough on to 5. South’s diamond bidding, even if not so aggressive as at our table should see East ruff the opening diamond lead and play A and a ruff to play a trump towards the West hand. That saves any guess about how to play spades for just two losers.

So, 2 or 1 would have worked well here but even a high-level diamond bid should not have prevented East-West from finding their major fit.

 

11 tricks with just 17 high card points with 2 of those points (Q) unnecessary. We love these auctions especially if we write down + 650 as East or + 600 as South.

Points Schmoints!

       2 losers too despite all those high cards. Remember the power of shape!

 

What was “the strange twist” in the title? Maybe the lead -directional club bid if one’s opponents declare a diamond contract. Maybe also that even opposite a passed partner, a working 7-count can be so powerful. All the more reason to open 1.

 

Come On: you can do it!

Can you? Should you? What can and should you do?

 

 

It is Pairs and only your side is vulnerable. So? It is still your bid.

Richard Solomon

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