The Woodberry Online Pairs is going from strength to strength under Fred's impressive organisation. The most interesting board of the night saw many different scores with two East-Wests reaching slam, and South making 3Dx on the opposite side of the spectrum. We made a bit of a mess of the board, and were lucky to even get 25%:
There were a wide range of results here, and many East's did not open, and Wests who overcalled 3D with 3NT, making 12 tricks when North did not find the heart lead, scored well. What were your thoughts on the board? And how do you play 4NT here, after 1M-(4m). Blackwood seems simplest and maybe it should be simple Blackwood ….
Paul Thornton and Gerry Weston had a splendid result, but were given an easy ride here when South overcalled a pusillanimous 2D and Gerry forced with 3D and then bid Blackwood. Making the slam is not trivial, but you should be able to make two diamonds, five clubs, four spades and a heart with careful timing. One declarer went off when he tried to ruff a heart in dummy and throw another on the ace of diamonds but when North ruffed he overruffed and fatally ruffed a heart in dummy.
At our table, South was made of sterner stuff and overcalled 4D and now Stefanie chose to double, mainly takeout, but obviously a wide range of hand types. I think 2-4-2-5 or 2-4-3-4 would be the most common, and I decided to pass on the East hand. West cashed the ace of hearts and then played a spade to South's ace. The queen of diamonds went to my king, and now I needed to lead a heart, so that partner could ruff, underlead the ace of clubs, and get another heart ruff for 500. That would have been worth one more match point, so I am not too dismayed at not finding that. I think West should just bid Blackwood over 4D, You want to be in grand opposite AQxxx Jxx x Kxxx but only six opposite QTxxx KQx x Kxxx, and neither of these is an opening bid. Not that the East hand is much of an opening bid anyway.
At our table, I allowed Ed to make 3NT+3 by leading 10D instead of a heart. As the cards lay, both 6S and 6C are unbeatable. Severable partnerships played in spades making 12 tricks unless declarer carelessly attempted to win AD before drawing trumps.
ReplyDeleteSurprisingly, nobody found the safer 6C contract, which would have been defeated only if the defence could immediately take a ruff after cashing AS.
In reply to Paul's question, after 1M-(4m), I would play 4NT as RKCB, agreeing the major.
ReplyDelete4D looks spot on to me facing a passed hand (with or without the opening from East).
ReplyDeleteI might be missing something but in 6S on a club lead don't you just draw trumps and cash your 12 tricks? You can't stop a club ruff.
Hi Ryan
DeleteMy point is that, without looking at the N/S hands, 6C is in jeopardy only if the defence can score an early spade ruff.
6S would be in jeopardy if the defence can score either a club or diamond ruff, a much greater risk.
Ryan is right that drawing trumps is simplest and best. Mrs Guggenheim would do just that, and the declarer who went off overthought the hand.
ReplyDeleteI was the beneficiary of the 75% in the board in question so my axe is very tiny to grind, but I felt Paul's analysis of Stefanie's Double was pretty decent and as such could not understand why he failed to bid. Far be it for me to question the Master!!
ReplyDeleteI think the point is opposite those hands there may well be no making game so you should simply try and get a plus score while you still can. If you are going to bid then maybe 4H is best to cater for partner having 5 (or perhaps getting a preference to 4S) because 5C doesn't look like a contract you want to be in on this bidding.
ReplyDeleteYes, I agree with Ryan that double is flexible, and East will normally bid only if he has extra shape.
ReplyDelete