NBB - Dutch Bridge Federation

First Division Imps Teams, Round 21

Utrecht, Andre Boekhorst Mind Sports Center

November 25, 2000

Boards 01-08

Recommended bidding sequence:

1 = Muiderberg weak-2, 5©, 4⁺ minor, 5-10 hcp.
2 = Slightly short of naturally overcalling 2NT, and for a weak takeout double (weak = 12-15 hcp), one should have a 4-card suit in the other major.
3 = Signoff. North should pass when his second suit is clubs, or else pull it to 3¨. Three of a minor plays better than 2©, and most likely also better than 2ª. We are not in favor a a non-forcing 2ª-response anyway.
4 = West is too weak to even hesitate before passing.
5 = North's second suit should be 5⁺ if vulnerable.
6 = East passes for the same reasons he had in the previous round of bidding.

South will have trouble losing more than 2 in each of the black suits.

Recommended bidding sequence:

Some optimistic Souths find their hand good enough to treat it as a 2-suited semiforcing, and find their partner in game after a sequence like:

1 = In our system either 2-suited semiforcing with © or ª as first suit, or, any type of gameforcing hand, or, NT-hand with 22-25 hcp. A semiforcing hand holds 20-22 hcp, or 8-9 playing tricks, a gameforcing has 23⁺ hcp, or 9½ or more playing tricks.
2 = Automatic relay, unless responder holds a good 5-card suit, and 8⁺ hcp. A good 5-card suit consists of KQxxx, AJTxx or better.
3 = 2-suited semi- or gameforcing hand.
4 = Second negative.
5 = 4⁺ ¨-suit in a semiforcing type of hand. With a gameforcing hand, South should jump to 4¨. A busted North must pass now. Anything else forces game.
6 = 4⁺ ¨-suit, since South may have a 5440-pattern, in which case he shows his 4-card suits up the line.
7 = Fourth Suit Forcing, why not, and virtually promising 5431, since he would rebid 3ª with 6ª and 4¨, 3NT with 5242, 4¨ with 5⁺ ª and 5⁺ ¨, 4© with 5440, and have rebid 3§ over 2NT with 5044.

North has a chance after a § lead and trump continuation. He rises with ©A, cashes ©A, and ducks ¨J to the queen. West must return ªQ to the ace. North ruffs a ª, and leads a ¨ from hand. East rises, returns ©J for the queen. North crosses to dummy, dumps a § on ªK, and forces West to cover ªJ, ruffs, crosses again in ¨, and makes his tenth trick with ª8.

West has much better defense. He ducks on ¨J, allowing East to score his ace, and return his last trump. Now, North can't set up his fifth spade, and as soon as he gives up a ¨, EW will cash the setting §-trick. Refusing ¨J is not easy to find, but so is offering it to the player without trumps. If East starts out with a low heart, North has no chance at all.

5¨ is not much of an alternative. This deal does not add up to the 27%, North gets away with only one loser in his trump suit.

Recommended bidding sequence:

1 = West should alert if he and East have agreed on Walsh approach, for in that case, East could be bypassing a 4-, 5- or even 6-card ¨-suit, when he holds less than 12 hcp.
2 = NT shape, 18-19 hcp.
3 = New Minor Forcing, asking for 3-card ª-support or a 4-card ©-suit. With a 6⁺ ª-suit (but not with 6ª and 4©), East would bid 3ª instead.
4 = South can't double 3¨ for a ¨-lead, for he is not sure 3¨ goes down, and if 3¨ doubled would be a game contract.
5 = West does not deny a 3-card ª-suit, but if there is a 4-4 ©-fit, hearts should become trumps.
6 = East gives the 5-3 ª-fit another try.
7 = No 8-card ª-fit.

North should lead ¨, the suit EW have not shown length in. Unfortunately, the majority of our first division plays West for shorter clubs, underleading §A. Against 4ª, some defenders fail to clear ¨ immediately, giving East the opportunity to pitch one ¨ on the third ©-winner of dummy, after drawing trumps.

Recommended bidding sequence:

1 = The weak-2 variation of our 2¨ opening ranges from a good 5-card suit to a bad 7-card suit, and 0-10 hcp not vulnerable, and from a good 6-card suit to a moderate 7-card suit, and 5-10 hcp if vulnerable. For this deviation of the official definition of a weak-2 opening bid, we are not allowed to name it Multi-colored.
2 = NT-hand, 16-18 hcp. Puppet Stayman and transfers apply.
3 = North obviously has a weak-2 in ª, and South is glad to see East taking him out of trouble.
4 = Jacoby transfer to 3©.
5 = North is forced to pass, unless he has a strong type of hand.
6 = East could only jump to 4© with a maximum hand and 4 or more hearts.
7 = Showing a balanced hand with exactly 5 hearts, and not enough strength to even try for slam.

On a ª-lead to the queen and a ª-return to the ace, and § to queen and king, 3NT only makes, if South dumps a ¨ in trick 2, and returns a © to 8, queen and ace in trick 4. East only needs to lead another © in trick 5. If South returns a § trick 4, East will have to play © by himself, and not be able to set up ©J in time.

Recommended bidding sequence:

5. (Discussion to follow)

Recommended bidding sequence:

6. (Discussion to follow)

Recommended bidding sequence:

7. (Discussion to follow)

Recommended bidding sequence:

8. (Discussion to follow)

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Copyright © 1999 by Michel Franssen