Sittard BC Internal Championships Imps Teams 2001

Semifinals, Baandert, Sittard, May 22, 2001


Match Lions versus Sextet


Boards 17-20


Copyright © 2001-2025 by Michel Franssen

Recommended bidding sequence:

The NS pair of Sextet managed to pass this hand out.

More analysis to follow.

Recommended bidding sequence:

2§ = One of many sorts of strong hands.
2¨ = Relay. North is not necessarily very weak, but a natural response of 2©, sª, 3§, or 3¨ requires

1. KQxxx, AJTxx, or better in the suit;
2. 8+ hcp.

A 2NT-response makes no sense at all, unless responder has king or better in all suits.

2NT = Balanced hand, 22-23 hcp.
3§ = Puppet Stayman, asking for 4- or 5-card major(s).
3ª = 5-card ª-suit.

More analysis to follow.

Recommended bidding sequence:

2© = Preemptive jump shift, i.e., 6- or 7-card suit, 4-7 hcp. Does not require alert in The Netherlands, unless opponents play below the level of second class in district competition.
Dbl = Too strong to surrender at this stage.
Rdb = Support redouble, promising doubleton of hearts, or, like here, 3-card support in a flat hand (flat = any 4333).
2ª = When it comes suit-dbl-rdb to West, and West is (very) weak, he must bid his best suit. He picks the 3-card ª-suit, since South already opened 1§, so East would take 3§ as a cuebid.
3¨ = 5+ suit and 16-17 hcp. With more strength, East should cuebid 3§ now, and with less, West would not start with a takeout double, but overcall right away.

South remains quiet for lots of reasons:

1. He does not want to push EW into game, if it's there.
2. He does not want to give them the option of doubling for penalties, when EW are just a litle short of game.
3. His hand is best suited for defense.
4. North's pass over 2ª, although he heard the support redouble, virtually outrules game for NS.

It turns out that East makes 3¨, and 3© goes off 2 after ªA, ¨A, and ¨Q. If EW come up with a smooth 'hesitation' double, and director finds no evidence of unauthorized information has been passed from East to West, or vice versa, competing for partscore up to 3© could cost South 5 imps.

More analysis to follow.

Orthodox bidding sequence:

1ª = In third chair this 5/5-hand is always worth an (destructive) opening. Some Easts would open a Muiderberg 2ª, but we would not recommend this, unless spades and clubs are reversed. If vulnerable, the anchor suit must be headed by KQ, AJT, or better.

NS are completely stuck after 2ª, so if they are ethical enough to not try to solve their problems by the length of their pauses of thought, they will miss a cold game. It takes an unorthodox bidding sequence to reach 3NT:

Dbl = Definitely unorthodox, for South has little or no support to offer in hearts and clubs.
Dbl = Responsive, asking South to pick a suit.
3ª = Forcing game in either NT, a minor, or even hearts, in the Moysian* fit.
3NT = ª-stopper.

We find it rather unlikely, that North allows South to play 3NT. As it turns out, it even makes 6¨, by ruffing 4 spades in dummy, greatly owing to East having the stiff ¨9, which prevents him from giving West trump promotion in the endgame, after having won §K.

More analysis to follow.

* Named after Alphonse Moyse, one of the leading experts in the early days of contract bridge, and a firm believer of the long term benefits of raising four card majors on three card support.

Go to Boards 21-24