NBB Teams of Twelve Cup 2002

Qualification Round One

Match Sittard 2-BC'70 Eindhoven

Sittard, De Baandert Community Center

January 29

Boards 09-12

Recommended bidding sequence:

1ª = Upgrading for excellent 17-count.
2© = 5+ ©-suit, 12+ hcp (2 over 1 = game force in our system).
2NT = Balanced hand and either 12-14 or good 17-average 19 hcp.
3ª = 3+ ª-support, slamtry.
3NT = Serious 3NT, promises the stronger type of balanced hand (17+/19 hcp), forces South to cuebid.
4© = 1st or 2nd round control of hearts, denies controls in minors.
4NT = RKCB for spades.
5© = 2 or 5 aces without queen of trumps.

Partnerships that do not treat 2 over 1 as game force, will proceed like this:

3§ = The so-called high reverse, 3+ suit, 15+ hcp, forcing game.

Like in the previous bidding sequence, NS should have made thorough discussions on the number a spades promised by 3ª, or they may end up playing a too easy 3NT.

One North player, Con Holzscherer, quite a bridge authority (former Dutch champion, former national team member, and active international director), decided to rebid 3¨ instead. This led to some unfriendly discussions at the table. We feel such tactical ¨-calls should be alerted, if they are made more often. The case is almost identical to opening 1¨ on ª KQ87 © Q32 ¨ AK4 § KQ6, where the vaste majority of the adherents of Five Card Majors would open 1§. To our best knowledge, the only legitimate case to introduce a 3-card ¨-suit is, where we hold precisely 4 spades, 4 hearts, 3 diamonds, and 2 clubs. If the partnership adheres to the far less standard treatment of choosing the best minor from 2 tripletons, this should be clearly announced in advance, prererable on the convention cards under the chapter of 'partnership agreements that require attention of the opponents.'

After a low spade to the seven, North must play very accurately to bring this slam home: ¨A, ¨K, ¨ ruffed, § to the queen, © to the ace, and low club for the ace. West smartly returns ¨Q. The slam is down when declarer ruffs in dummy, so he must ruff in hand, enabling East to get rid of a heart. Now North must cash §K, cross to §J, and cash ©K. When the king of hearts holds, North makes his 11th and 12th trick with his remaining master trumps.

Note that 6© happens to make if South follows the 14% line of leading small to ©T, his best shot at 6 ©-tricks. The ª-slam has a chance of about 50%. Basically, both majors have to break 3-2, but there are some extra chances, as we have seen. German Kemper and Cornelius Laas, the nestors of BC'70 Eindhoven, were the only players to bid and make the sharp slam.

Recommended bidding sequence:

6§ may look like a gamble, but North needs little more than an ace from South.

Recommended bidding sequence:

1NT = One of many types of hands, 5-11 hcp, one round force. We do give direct limit raises on 3-card support, the more so, when our hand pattern is 4333.
2NT = Some 5©332, and a good 17 to average 19 hcp.
3© = 3-card ©-suit, 10-11 hcp. West would have raised immediately with less hcp strength.
3ª = 1st or 2nd round control of spades.
4§ = 1st or 2nd round control of clubs.
4© = Denying 1st or 2nd round control of diamonds.

Recommended bidding sequence:

1© = 5+ suit, 8-15 hcp (vulnerable).
1ª = 5+ suit, 9-15 hcp.
3© = 2-card support, invitational.

South upgrades his hand, for the finesses are likely to work. RHO bid twice, and LHO certainly has less than 5 hcp.

Go to Boards 13-16

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