District 8 Solvers Forum -- December 2018

        by Nate Ward, Champaign IL
 

What is your call as South holding:  ♠53   ♥6   ♦109854   ♣KQJ105  ?

We start out with a multi-decision hand. How high do we want to compete? How important is directing the lead for partner as opposed to showing both of our suits? Starting out with those who want the best lead:

Kessler: 3C. I play 2NT as unusual in this auction, but would rather bid the suit I want partner to lead.

Walker: 3C. We're going to be outbid on this one, since we don’t rate to have a good sacrifice at this vulnerability (and game for them is far from certain, as we do have close to half the high-card points). The best I can do now is use up some auction space and tell partner what to lead.

Kaplan: 3C. Where I live!

Popkin: 2C. It looks to me that opponents have a bunch of spades and will shortly be in game or higher. I want the club lead.

Wanting to get both of our suits in are:

Hinckley: 2NT. Pick a minor. 3C a close second choice as a lead director.

Spear: 2D. I want to get both my suits in the auction, so must start with 2D, planning to bid clubs next.

And going way high:

Jones: 4NT. Why mess around?

I agree somewhat, but this still doesn't help partner on the lead. When the opponents do bid 4 of a major, it is hard to imagine letting them play it.

What is your call as South holding:  ♠Q1092   ♥AK73  ♦A107  ♣A3 ?

Now the seats are switched with partner -- we made the takeout double and now have to decide how to proceed. A fourth diamond would make this much easier decision.

We start with the pesimists, who could easily be right:

Walker: Pass. I have an extra ace or so for my double, but we've already found our best contract, so there's no point in trying to show it. If partner couldn’t bid 1NT or 2D or a major, I have no hopes of making a game.

Kaplan: Pass. I'm not going to bid 1NT with Ax in opener's suit. Not going to bid a 4-card major now. Don't see raising 1D with A10x. What is left but pass?

Spear: Pass. I think we have found the right suit to play, and not too high.

If you've decided to make a forward move, what should it be?

Guthrie: 1NT. Imperfect and an overbid, but is the only plausible follow-up to your initial double

Gagnon: 1NT. I believe this shows my points. I would bid 2C to ask for a major, but I expect my partner to have shown four of a major already.

Popkin: 2C. The only plausible game is 3NT. Partner needs a club card. If partner has one, he can bid 2NT. If not, 2D.

Kessler: 2C. Really ugly, but red at IMPs, I can't pass. Nothing else seems any better.

Rabideau: 2D. Nice hand -- something like 19 points? Knowing where most of the opponents' high-card points are, partner could have enough to get us to a reasonable NotrumpT game.

All in all, I think this is close. If we make a move and partner can bid 2NT, we might be in a better contract, but passing could easily be the right move at matchpoints.

3. Matchpoints, both vulnerable             

  * (Does not promise 6 cards)

What is your call as South holding:  ♠AJ92    ♥K75   ♦AQ9876  ♣Void ?

Now a hand where we have shown slam interest, but partner has not shown any positive signs at all. Do we try to save our plus score or do we keep pushing?

Staying low:

Spear: Pass. Partner showed zero interest in continuing over my strong auction, which may well indicate diamond shortness in addition to a minimum. His club values may be worthless, so I am not going any higher despite my wealth of controls.

Compare this to the majority of the panel who decided another move was worth it:

Baker: 4S. A 4C splinter last round might have been better. Wish we were playing Non-Serious 3NT so I’d know if partner was rejecting slam entirely or just not willing to try on his own. Can’t give up when almost any hand with the diamond king is golden.

Hinckley: 4S. I should have bid 4C (splinter) on my last bid. Now I'm forced to guess if the 5-level is safe enough to make a slam try.

Kaplan: 4S. I'm encouraged that partner didn't cue clubs. So - with all my controls, I feel that I have to make one try toward slam.

Walker: 5D. This is worth one more try, but I can't see how a 4S control bid will create an auction that will help either of us make a slam decision (4S - 5C / 5D - 5H / ? ). Bidding 5D gets partner to focus on his diamond holding. Skipping two suits also tells him I have those suits covered (I couldn’t possibly have enough for a slam try if I lacked controls in both black suits).

And pushing really far are:

Kessler: 6H. I am going to bid a slam, and 7H seems very unlikely after partner could not bid 3S, 4C, or 4D over a forward going 3H.

Guthrie: 6H. You probably should have jumped to 4C over 2H. Now there seems to be no sensible Scientific continuation, so you might as well bid 6H, giving defenders as little help as possible.

I am in the minority on this one, but I don't see how partner can have the ♦K and anything else good to go along with it and not have bid 4D on the previous round. That said, the majority feel this hand is worth another move, and I can respect that.

What is your call as South holding:  ♠AJ2   ♥K   ♦Q987654   ♣AK ?

Next, a tough rebid problem. We have 17 points, but just how good are they, especially considering our 7-card suit is rather weak. Do we go low or do we go high?

Starting off with those going low, my personal choice:

Walker: 2D. A big underbid, but the hand has too many flaws for 2NT and I just can't bring myself to jump to 3D with this suit. If partner can bid again -- or if my lack of enthusiasm sucks the opponents into balancing -- I can overbid later.

Kaplan: 2S. Horrible problem! I hate 2S but cannot find a bid I like more.

Guthrie: 2S. Your hand is not as good as it seems. 2D is attractive, but 2S is less selfish.

Rabideau: 2S. UGLY in so many ways! Those diamonds are probably worthless in a spade contract and, as usual, who knows what the stiff king is worth.

Taking the "normal" action -- or what would be normal if only our  ♥K was instead the ♦K:

Popkin: 3D. That might be the worst seven shooter I have ever jumped with. However, I'm rich in controls and not sure where this will end up.

Baker: 3D. My suit is pretty lousy for this bid, but I don’t see a better option. 3S with only three isn’t usually smart, but 2S with this much extra will miss too many games.

Kessler: 3D. If partner passes, we are likely in the correct spot.

And here are two more approaches:

Hinckley: 2H. I've never reversed into a singleton, but this looks like the hand for it because I can correct partner's possible heart raise to spades.

Jones: 3S. I actually have a system where rebidding 3D here shows 3-card spade support, which is awesome because problems like this one occur frequently.

Maybe Bridge World Standard 2020 should incorporate Kimmel's idea here. I don't think there is a good answer for this problem. 

5. Matchpoints, none vulnerable   

  * (6+ clubs, not forcing)

What is your call as South holding:  ♠A83   ♥J92   ♦AKQ1085   ♣4 ?

What is partner doing here? Alan has what might be the answer:

Popkin: 4D. Has partner been drinking? Made a non-forcing call and now when I show an extra diamond, he forces me to the 4-level. If we belong in game, we need to have a serious talk about our methods.

Some of our panel didn't think 3S was forcing and were hoping to just go plus at this point:

Kessler: Pass. 6-5 with mediocre hand. Even if we make too many, we will do okay by playing in a reasonable contract.

Walker: Pass. 3S can’t be anything other than just what it sounds like. My best guess for partner's hand is something like  ♠xxxxx  ♥xx  ♦Void  ♣AQJ10xx .

Jones: Pass. I am tempted to raise, but figure if spades is our spot, we will score well even if 4S makes.

Taking partner at his word that he has something good:

Rabideau: 4S. Partner has values, must be 6-5 or so and might even have more than the 10 points he denied because he needed to start bidding his suits early on.

And, finally, Jack thinks partner might not even have spade length.

Spear: 5D. I think partner has a spade value with a couple of diamonds and a singleton or doubleton heart, maybe hoping for 3NT. I will overbid to 5D in case it makes.

What is your call as South holding:  ♠AKQJ93   ♥AJ82   ♦K85   ♣Void ?

Lastly, a slam decision. We know that partner has diamond length, but is that going to be enough? We start with those who want to let partner in on the decision:

Hinckley: 4C. A slam is still possible, such as ♦QJxxxx and out in partner's hand.

Guthrie: 4C. ♦Axxxxx in partner's hand would make 6D a good contract, so a leap to 6D would be reasonable. But partner need have little more than long diamonds, so 4S might be high enough. A 4C cuebid is a reasonable waiting move.

Walker: 5C (exclusion Keycard Blackwood). Partner could have passed 2S with just about anything, so I expect at least six decent diamonds. He doesn't need much to make 6D, but I'm looking for a possible grand.

Popkin: 5C. Exclusion. I hope partner remembers that we play step responses.

And, last, just taking the blast:

Kaplan: 6D. Hoping we can make 6 and not wishing to give anything away to the opponents on opening lead.

I can see the advantages of this approach, since a heart lead is likely going to spell doom for us.

Thanks to all who sent in answers to this challenging set. Congratulations to George Klemic of Bensenville IL and Michael Clegg of Ft. Wayne IN, who led all Solvers with a score of 560. Close behind was Bob Bainter of River Edge NJ with 540. All three are invited to join the February panel.

To receive an email notice when new problems are posted, send your request to kwbridge@comcast.net .

I hope you'll give the February problems a try (see below). Please submit your solutions by January 31 on the web form .

Help wanted:  If you'd like to serve as a Forum moderator and write up the column (twice a year), contact Karen at kwalker2@comcast.net.