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Slow or Fast?

There is no right or wrong way to bid a hand like the following. There is the way that works and the way that does not! How would you start the bidding at Teams Nil Vul? 

With two aces, it would be unlikely the opponents to be making a slam though potentially one of them may have a diamond void. However, it may be that your partner has a decent hand and then, they may not expect you to hold an outside ace if you start with a value 5 bid. So, 1 or 5 seem to be the realistic options.

This deal occurred at the last weekend’s Regional Teams at the Auckland Bridge Club. There were 18 tables in play and a variety of different outcomes on this board. I suspect that those who started high emerged with the best results as at 5 tables, 5 was the final contract, once doubled, and always making. 5 other tables saw the East-West pairs play a very dangerous game as they defended 6, twice doubled and each time the defence emerging with 2 tricks. There were the 4 freaky hands:

 

This was the “slow route” with North playing a cagey game. Not a pass in sight until 6 had been doubled! Had North led their top diamond, West would ruff and lead a trump, ducked to South’s Q. The best defence could now be found per force though after the above auction, it would come as rather a surprise to South. Spades and diamonds were a waste of time leading (look at dummy), similarly a second trump. South might wonder where West’s remaining cards, other than 6 hearts, were. Unless North was void in spades, West’s bidding suggested rather more club support than they had let on.

So, why not lead your singleton club? That seems as good a return as any..and what a result as North would ruff with the A. Well, may as well and as you can see does beat 6x by 2 tricks! How often have you led a singleton to give your partner a ruff?!

This defence was only found at one table where Alan Grant as North opened 5. Michael Cornell (East) doubled and his partner, William Liu, West, bid 5 to close the auction. Alan led a high diamond. William ruffed to lead a trump to Jane Lennon, South. There was nothing better for Jane to do than lead her club and the defence had three trump tricks for +50.The other two tables who defended a heart contract did not find this extra trick.

The remaining 3 tables saw East-West sacrifice in 7x where the cost was -300.

The event winners had two very contrasting auctions. When Grant Jarvis and Tim Schumacher were East-West, North opened 5 and played there but watch this one from Leon Meier and GeO Tislevoll:

West              North             East                South

                        GeO                                       Leon

                        1                   3                   4

5                   6                  Pass                Pass

7                   X                      All Pass

GeO toyed with the opening options and took the “slow route”. His second choice of bid was very interesting, imaging that his partner’s spades were somewhat stronger than was apparent. However, West believed their opposition and took what turned out to be a phantom sacrifice.

These trumps missing make slam hard to make!

So, slow or fast route? It is not obvious but possible for East to bid 6 over a 5 opening. South would surely bid to the diamond slam and one can understand West raising clubs to the max.

A deal for everyone’s post mortem. 

Richard Solomon

 

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