NBB - Dutch Bridge Federation

Final Dutch NC Imps Teams

Onstein Castle BC Vorden - Modalfa BC Amsterdam

Amsterdam, RAI Exhibition and Convention Center

Session 2, Boards 01-08

December 09, 2000

Recommended bidding sequence:

1 = Jacoby transfer, promising 5⁺ © and 0⁺ hcp.
2 = East could jump to 3© with 4- card ©-support and 17 hcp, or 5-card ©-support and 16 hcp.

More discussion to follow.

Recommended bidding sequence:

1 = In our Walsh approach, East could be bypassing a 4-, 5- or 6-card ¨-suit, if he has less than 12 hcp, so West must alert.
2 = One round force, so that West can keep his jumps to 2ª to show 6⁺/5⁺ and 11-15 hcp, which come up far more often than hands with 6⁺/5⁺ and 16-19 hcp.
3 = 2© would show a 6⁺ suit.
4 = Invitational, showing a 4225-hand with 16-17 hcp. Of course, West would have opened 1NT with 4324 or 4234.
5 = Maximum and 5-card ©-suit, similar to 1NT-2§-2©-2NT-3©.
6 = West does not have the 3-card ©-suit Easts is looking for.

More discussion to follow.

Recommended bidding sequence:

1 = Many partnerships have narrowed the hcp range op this opening bid to 20-21 hcp, with 4333-, 4432-, or 5332-pattern, of course.
2 = Chris Niemeyer approach, showing exactly 5ª and 4©, but denying slam interest. The complete absency of top honors in the majors should keep East from bidding 4NT, which would show the same 5ª and 4©, but also interest in slam.
3 = West has an excellent ª-fit, but East has to bring quite a lot to cover his weaknesses in the red suits.

More discussion to follow.

Recommended bidding sequence:

1 = Stayman relay. East may be looking for a 5-card major, or have a hand he just wants to invite to 3NT with. Needs alert.
2 = West promises a 4-card ©-suit, and does not deny a 5-card ©-suit or 4-card ª-suit.
3 = Natural one round force.
4 = With a minimum, West had to rebid 3ª.

More discussion to follow.

Recommended bidding sequence:

1 = One round force, holding one of many distributions, and 5-11 hcp.
2 = 6⁺ suit, for with any 5332, West has to rebid his lowest 3-card suit, which, of course is always a minor.

More discussion to follow.

Recommended bidding sequence:

1 = Multi-colored, i.e. weak-2 in a major, or one of several types of strong hands.
2 = West has at worst an invitational hand with adequate support for both majors, so he has at least 13 hcp.
3 = Semiforcing hand with 5⁺ § and perhaps length in other suit(s).
4 = Looking for second suit.
5 = 4-card ©-suit.
6 = RKCB, 1403-variation. Cuebidding is unnecessary, for East must have a §-control for his bidding.
7 = 2 or 5 'aces' and ©Q, the queen of trumps.
8 = Asking for kings.
9 = With ªKQ, ©J, and §KQ as well placed extra values, East cannot rely on West to bid the grand slam.

There is nothing to the play. Note that 7© is a lot better than 7NT. 7© only fails if trumps break 5-0, or, if North can ruff a club on the opening lead. 7NT is in serious trouble when South holds all clubs, or, 4 clubs to the jack. In that case, only a squeeze in the minors can save East. In order to make that squeeze work, South must have ¨KJT as well, or East must find North with the stiff ¨K in time.

Recommended bidding sequence:

1 = Once again, a vulnerable Muiderberg weak-2 requires a 5/5⁺ pattern, and the 5-card major should consist of KQTxx, AJTxx, or better.
2 = Multi-colored, this time based on a standard weak-2 in ª.
3 = 5⁺ ©-suit, 12-15 hcp.
4 = Semi-preemptive. This jump to 4ª denies slam interest, but can be a lot stronger than this one, increasing the pressure on West to a maximum. East just answered South's questions concerning North's suit, so South can now respond as if North opened an ordinary weak-2.
5 = This time, West has a clear-cut action.

Note that if East, for example, has 3 spades and a stiff ¨A, EW miss a cold slam, owing to South's semi-preempt. Ramondt's pass after 2© allows Jansen to splinter with 3ª. Westerhof should tried the cuebid 4§, allowing Jansen to disclose his ¨-control, if he had it. In thas case, Jansen would have denied the vital ¨-control, and ended the auction with 4©:

Recommended bidding sequence:

1 = Balanced hand, 20-21 hcp.
2 = Puppet Stayman, asking for 4- or 5-card major.
3 = No 5-card major, but 1 or 2 4-card majors.
4 = Note, that NS are very close to slam, if South has a third § instead of a third ¨. In that 6§, South could ruff 2 hearts, play §K, §A, and then make his third ruff in the suit, the defender with the remaining trump cannot ruff yet.

Against 3NT, the natural ¨-lead of De Boer, and the early ª-discard of Muller provided South with 13 tricks. At the other table, a crummy weak-2 of Westerhof put Jansen on the ©-lead. Westerhof returned a low heart. Ramondt played him for a 6-card suit, and inserted the queen, allowing defense to take ©J as well.

Go to session 02, boards 09-16

Copyright © 1999 by Michel Franssen