NBB Teams of Twelve Cup 2002

NBB Teams of Twelve Cup 2002

Qualification Round One

Match Goirle-Sittard 1

Eindhoven, De Ambassadeur

February 03

Boards 17-20

Board 17 N/- WEST	NORTH ª 7 © A 7 6 2 ¨ K J 7 § A T 6 4 2	EAST
ª J T 9 4 © K 3 ¨ A 9 8 2 § K 7 3	SOUTH	ª 6 5 3 © Q J T ¨ Q 6 5 § J 9 8 5
	ª A K Q 8 2 © 9 8 5 4 ¨ T 4 3 § Q

Recommended bidding sequence:

West	North	East	South
---	1§	pass	1ª
pass	2§	pass	2©
pass	3©	pass	4©
pass	pass	pass.

2© = 4+ suit, 6-11 hcp, so North should not pass prematurely.

If West makes a normal lead, South only needs to ruff a spade, and leave a low trump in dummy to ruff any ¨-return, for example: ¨A, ¨ for the king, ªA, ªK (dumps a ¨), ª ruffed, low heart for West's king, ªJ, and now, dummy should not allow East to overruff his ©7, return a trump, and collect a ¨ in the end, but dump a club. East may ruff, but can do no more harm. If he, for instance, returns his ¨Q, declarer ruffs in dummy, draws East's remaining trump, cashes §A, ruffs a club, and fulfils or fulfills his contract with one more trump and ªK.

At least two West players found a smarter defense: they started a low diamond. Declarer duly misguessed the position, and trailed two tricks after trick two, with still two trumps tricks to lose.

Board 18 E/NS WEST	NORTH ª K Q © 9 8 7 ¨ T 9 7 4 2 § A Q 7	EAST
ª T 5 3 2 © T 6 5 4 2 ¨ Q J § 9 6	SOUTH	ª A J 9 8 © A ¨ K 6 § K 8 5 4 3 2
	ª 7 6 4 © K Q J 3 ¨ A 8 5 3 § J T

Recommended bidding sequence:

West	North	East	South
---	---	1§	pass
pass	1¨	1ª	2ª
dbl	pass	3§	3¨
3ª	pass	pass	pass.

1¨ = 5+ suit, 9-15 hcp
2ª = Hoping for a ª-stopper and 14-15 hcp in North.
Dbl = For penalties. West denied 6+ hcp, so he will probably have a 4-card ª-suit.

NS can hold East to 9 tricks with ©K for the ace, ¨K, ¨ for the ace, ©Q ruffed, ªA, ªJ for the king, © ruffed, and East concedes 2 §-tricks.

If East plays a sneaky ¨6 from hand, South must cash his ace to block the suit for East, or else, he will lead a § to his king.

Board 19 S/EW WEST	NORTH ª 2 © Q T 4 3 ¨ K Q 7 3 2 § J T 8	EAST
ª Q 7 6 3 © A K J 5 2 ¨ T 9 § 9 4	SOUTH	ª A 9 8 4 © 9 8 7 6 ¨ 6 5 § 7 3 2
	ª K J T 5 © - - - ¨ A J 8 4 § A K Q 6 5

Recommended bidding sequence:

West	North	East	South
---	---	---	1§
1©	2¨	2©	4©
dbl	pass	pass	4ª
pass	4NT	pass	6¨
pass	pass	pass.

2¨ = 5+ suit, 8-11 hcp.
4© = Clear-cut example of Exclusion Blackwood. Most of the time, a jump cue in the opponent's suit promises 4+ support in partner's suit, and invitational strength or better. After 4©, there is no turning back to partscore. If South needs space to check for controls in outside suits, he will certainly use the single cuebid of 3© to keep the auction alive.
Dbl = Demanding a ©-lead from East.
Pass = 1 or 4 out of 5 aces (D0P1). The double offers more bidding space, so why not use it? Since North cannot show ©A, he promises ¨K or ªA now.
4ª = Asking for queen of trumps. If North doesn't have it, South would rather stay out of slam.
4NT = ¨Q, but no outside kings.

There is absolutely nothing to the play of 6¨. Believe it or not, one NS pair ran ashore in 3¨!

Board 20 W/All WEST	NORTH ª K Q J 3 2 © - - - ¨ 9 8 5 § A K J 7 3	EAST
ª T 9 7 5 4 © T 5 4 3 ¨ 6 4 § 8 5	SOUTH	ª 8 © A K J 7 6 ¨ A K J 7 2 § T 6
	ª A 6 © Q 9 8 2 ¨ Q T 3 § Q 9 4 2

Recommended bidding sequence:

West	North	East	South
pass	1ª	dbl	rdb
pass	3§	dbl	3NT
pass	pass	pass.

Dbl = This hand is too strong for a simple overcall or Michaels cuebid (5+ hearts and 5+ minor).
Rdb = Less than 4-card ª-support, sort of balanced, no 5-card suit.
3§ = 4+ suit, 15+ hcp, forcing game.
Dbl = For takeout again. Must have good shape, for NS hold the balance of the strength.
3NT = Bidding what you expect to make.

We owe Rufi Nurmohamed and Frank Bakkeren some credit for reaching the only game that makes.

Some EW pairs played strong 2-suited overcalls, so they where able to push NS beyond the level of making:

West	North	East	South
pass	1ª	3§	dbl
3©	4§	pass	4ª
pass	pass	pass.

3§ = 5+/5+ in the reds, and about 13-16 hcp.
Dbl = For penalties.
3© = Clear signoff in hearts. West knows where the fit is, so he should chose, not East. We know only one expert in The Netherlands below the great rivers, that would allow East to chose, unless West held a good hand.

There is nothing wrong with 4ª, for it makes as long as trumps do not break worse than 4-2. After East's 2-suited overcall, this proposition is no longer one of about 84%, but of approximately 50%.

Go to Boards 21-24