Sittard BC Internal Championships Imps Teams 2001

Quarterfinals, Baandert, Sittard, May 15, 2001


Match Lions versus Optimists


Boards 05-08


Copyright © 2001-2025 by Michel Franssen

Special thanks to Scott Smith

Board 5
N/NS


WEST		 NORTH
ª J
© A J 9 6 5
¨ Q J 9 8
§ J T 7



EAST
ª A T 8 7 3
© Q 2
¨ 5 4 2
§ 9 5 2


SOUTH		 ª K Q 9 6 5 4
© 3
¨ A T 6 3
§ 6 3
ª 2
© K T 8 7 4
¨ K 7
§ A K Q 8 4


Recommended bidding sequence:

West North East South
--- pass 2¨ 2©
4ª 5© 5ª dbl
pass pass pass.

2¨ = Multi-colored: weak-2 in a major, or one of several types of strong hands.
2© = 5-card ©-suit, 12-15 hcp. South finds himself at the very top for this single overcall.
4ª = Assuming East to hold a weak-2 in spades, but certainly welcoming a very much stronger type of hand.
5ª = Expecting South to make his vulnerable game. In general, the weak-2 bidder is supposed to leave further action to his partner. This time, he has 4 sound reasons to take same iniative himself:

  1. West promises at least 4 spades, so EW have a hughe fit.
  2. East has excellent spades and an ace in his 4-card minor.
  3. The singleton of hearts does not promise too much defense against 5 hearts, while West has already shown little interest in defending 4©.
  4. If East passes now, West will never know how nice his hand is to offend with. If East passes after hesitation, he bars West from bidding on ethical grounds, unless West has a strong hand himself (16+ hcp or the distributional equivalent).

On our table, where we played NS, the following auction developed:

West North East South
--- pass 2¨ 2©
.pass 4© 4ª 5©
5ª pass pass dbl
pass pass pass.

West's short and smooth hesitation put East on the 'right', though unethical track. North immediately retained our right to call director later, as the Laws order us to do in Europe. When the hand was played, he decided to confine with +500, as he felt litle or no damage done to his side. The director, however, would certainly have cancelled East's 4ª, and subsequently, since too much unauthorized information reached EW, have awarded on adjusted score based on 4©+1 or 5©=. This would have earned us 3 more imps, for at the other table, our East player went for only 300 after:

West North East South
--- pass 2ª 3©
4ª 5© 5ª dbl
pass pass pass,

2ª, of course, being an ordinary weak-2. Against such weak-2, we would have two better options to describe East's hand:

  1. 3ª = Michaels cuebid, showing hearts and a minor.
  2. 4§ = World convention, showing clubs and hearts.

More analysis to follow.

Board 6
E/EW


WEST		 NORTH
ª J 5 2
© Q 9 7 5
¨ 8 5 4
§ K 6 4



EAST
ª A T
© T 8 6 4
¨ K Q 9 3
§ T 7 5


SOUTH		 ª Q 9 7 4
© A 3
¨ A T 7 6
§ 9 8 3
ª K 8 6 3
© K J 2
¨ J 2
§ A Q J 2


Recommended bidding sequence:

West North East South
--- --- pass 1NT
pass pass pass.

More analysis to follow.

Board 7
S/All


WEST		 NORTH
ª Q 8 7
© 8 6 3
¨ A J 4 2
§ A K 5



EAST
ª A 9 4
© J 5
¨ Q 8 6 3
§ Q T 8 4


SOUTH		 ª J 6 2
© A T 9 7
¨ K T 7
§ 7 3 2
ª K T 5 3
© K Q 4 2
¨ 9 5
§ J 9 6


Recommended bidding sequence:

West North East South
--- --- --- pass
pass 1¨ pass 1©
pass 1NT pass pass
pass.

More analysis to follow.

Board 8
W/-


WEST		 NORTH
ª - - -
© K Q 9 3
¨ A Q T 9 7 2
§ 6 4 3



EAST
ª A K 5 4
© T 6 5 2
¨ 8 6 5 4
§ 8


SOUTH		 ª Q J 9 7 6 3
© A 8
¨ 3
§ A Q J 2
ª T 8 2
© J 7 4
¨ K J
§ K T 9 7 5


Recommended bidding sequence:

West North East South
pass 1¨ 1ª 2§
4ª 4NT 5ª pass
pass pass.

2§ = 5+ suit, 8-11 hcp, the so-called negative free bid.
4NT = Precisely 3-card §-support, along with extra ¨-length (6+ suit). With 4+ §-support, North could bid 5§ right away, and with 3 clubs and only 5 diamonds, it would wiser for North to pass, unless he hcp strength to spare (16+ hcp).

More analysis to follow.

Go to Boards 09-12