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A Grand Sequence.

Today, we have a request from a reader of how two hands can be bid to grand slam. So, we started early and asked the Panel what they would open the following hand:

 

There was a lot of support for treating the hand as a game force 2 opener. The nervous wait of opening 1 and trusting someone at the table to find a bid was just too much:

Kris Wooles “2: game force after which all my bids are forcing and descriptive. I’ll like to end up playing one of my suits with the lead coming up to my hand.”

Nigel Kearney “2: I think I open 2 less than most people but surely this is enough? Game is a strong favourite opposite xxx xxx xxx xxxx and we will have all sorts of trouble bidding this hand even if partner responds to 1."

It certainly fits in to our “Rule of 29” guideline, 19 high and 11 cards in two suits.  

Peter Newell “2: looks like a game force to me. I do not believe in minimum point counts for 2, and this is plenty….at times with 2 suiters there is merit in opening at the 1 level to make it easier to get your suits in.  However, one has to weigh up the risk of 1 being passed out (unlikely as others are likely to have extreme shapes) and how easy it will be to bid the hand anyway. No matter how much catching up one does, partner will never visualise a hand as strong as this.  Finally, bidding naturally with 1 it is likely that it won’t be easy to describe the hand anyway even if you get a chance to rebid 2.

Andy Braithwaite “2: Surely you have to open 2 on this monster and bid 2 gf over the expected 2 response. These hearts are so good that you can afford to forget the spades even if there is a fit there.”

Alone with 1:

Bruce Anderson “1: obviously there is a case for 2 game force if playing a natural system but the natural opening bid gets one of my suits across. 2 might be overcalled with an unusual NT for the minors, or simply a minor suit overcall, and if the opponents have a big fit the auction could get very high without my showing one of my suits.

Over a natural opening and intervention, we may have the opportunity to find a spade fit if that exists, and it is possible that partner has 3 or 4 hearts and can support my suit. If partner does not bid over intervention, I will reverse into spades, even if I have to do that at a very high level. “

We will see that scientific bidding is not straightforward after a 2 opener though I do not share the view that someone will bid over 1.

 

Stephen Blackstock “2: Point count should not be a determining factor. The questions to ask are:

do I have a hand of quality at or near game going strength?

Is there a risk of being passed in a lower opening?

Will partner doubt I am this strong if I open anything else?

 With this hand, yes to each.”

 

So, an overwhelming vote in favour of starting with 2. However, that was not the end of the problems unless South just blasted their way to grand-slam.

 

 

 

One approach would be for South to bid 3NT, waiting, but how forcing? Another would be to bid their second suit, 4 or else simply launch into Key Card. Key Card would show the three North holds (5 works better here though South is strong enough to ask for the trump queen with 5 if the response is 5). Indeed, as long as the queen ask confirms holding all key cards, then North, with 3, really should jump to 7 and South converts to 7NT. That should be the case here though there is the nagging doubt that after 5 queen ask, South would be signing off at the 5-level if Q and an ace were missing. That really should not apply after a positive response to 2.

I do prefer this sequence:

                        North             South

                         2                   3

                        3                   3NT

                        4¹                    4NT    ¹ maybe 4 if North is put off by their partner’s 3 bid.

                            5                   5NT   ask for side suit kings

                        7                   7NT
                       Pass  
Now, North knows South not only has all the missing key-cards but the Q as well because they by-passed asking for it.
I wonder how the auction would progress had it started:

                    North                South

                        1                   2
                       2                   3NT
                        ?

North might bid 4 after which the auction could proceed as above.

7NT bid and made just once in our 22 table Intermediate field in the on-line Pairs last Sunday night. Well done to Ann Verboeket and Sheridan Evans, that successful pair. The 2 openers were in the majority.

Once again, it is Fri day for our Jin Club members tomorrow.

Richard Solomon

                       

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