Sittard BC Internal Championships Imps Pairs 2002

Session 02, Baandert, Sittard, March 12, 2002


Group A, Boards 05-08


Copyright © 2002-2025 by Michel Franssen

Recommended bidding sequence:

1NT = Balanced hand, 15-17 hcp, so West had no reason to try for game..

Recommended bidding sequence:

1*D = Alertable, since West denies 4-card majors, ...unless he has 12+ hcp (Walsh Approach).
3*H = 4+ suit and 12+ hcp, for else, he would have bid 1*H over 1*C.
4*H = Trying to play game in the 4-3 fit, since it appears that EW have only one *S-stopper.

4*H is certainly a better contract than 3NT or 5*D, which will usually be beaten off the top.

It stands to reason that North is much more likely to hold *SA, but on this particular deal, NS set 4*H off the top: *DA, *S for queen, *D ruffed, *S for ace, *D ruffed, and a third round of spades will promote a trump in South for down 3.

Recommended bidding sequence:

2*S = 6+ *C-suit, 0+ hcp (Minor Suit Transfer).
3*C = Minimum hand, and/or mediocre *C-support.

If North rejects the transfer with 2NT in order to show a better hand and/or better *C-support, South will have nothing left but to sign off in 3NT. EW will allow North to make the first round of spades. North unblocks *SA-K, cashes *HA and tries to sneak through with low heart to queen, but East will rise, cash *DA and *SA, and cross to West who scores 3 more spades plus *DK to set 3NT by 3 tricks.

Three clubs goes off one on proper defense, which mean, that only West has to lead a heart before North has set up enough spades and diamonds for 2 *H-discards from dummy.

Recommended bidding sequence:

Pass = We would not open 11 hcp in 1st or 2nd chair, unless we held 5431, 5/5, or a 6+ suit.
Pass = We would not open 11 hcp hands in 4th chair, unless the sum of high card points plus spades would be equal to or greater than 15. We do not encourage to make a dogma of this Rule of Fifteen, but to use it as a tool to estimate which side is more likely to end up with a plus after the battle for partscore. If we held one heart more and one club less, we certainly would open such 11-count in any chair, even in 4th.

It turns out, that NS can make 10 clubs in clubs, and EW 9 tricks in diamonds. At imps, the risks of going for a number or allowing the enemy to score partscore or even game, largely outweigh such tiny plusses. At matchpoints, we should be prepared to take such risks to a certain extent.

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