Slim Slam by Foxymoron

22 yards in cricket is often more than you think, especially if you are trying to run a quick single. 22 points in bridge is more than the minimum to make a slam, but not usually enough. On the above hand the two major suit fits provide 12 tricks but only if both of them behave. Spades are about 50% to come in and hearts are about 68%, so the overall chances are not great, about 35%. Ryan Stephenson and Ken
Barnett reached slam in hearts, the auction beginning 1S-(2NT)-3D* showing a game force with hearts. West's 2NT was particularly unusual! South raised 3H to 4H and North bid RKCB despite the void. Ed Sanders led the ace of clubs and continued clubs and Ryan ruffed, cashed the heart queen, ruffed a diamond and drew trumps. One of the problems with Bridgebase is that it times you out after 8 minutes. This is normally enough, but here it was not, and the software awarded an average, leaving the TD to decide if that was fair. In the seven-card ending, having drawn trumps, declarer should lead the eight of spades, to avoid the suit being blocked. This caters for a singleton queen of spades or spades 2-2 and  brings home the slam. The TD decided that this line would be chosen by a competent declarer, and awarded the slam.

Ruff and Sluff
by Foxymoron

My neighbour's dog has coronavirus. He was very wheezy today, and I asked him how he was feeling and he said "Ruff!" Time to change the subject, methinks. Slough is an interesting word. Apart from being one of the few words that can change its pronunciation when it has a capital letter, it also has different meanings without a capital letter, and different pronunciations. Slough, pronounced sluff, is the term for shedding skin, as snakes do, To complicate matters, slough meaning wet swampy ground, can be pronounced slow (rhyming with cow) or sloo (rhyming with loo). I am getting a bit bogged down in more ways than one, so back to the bridge.

We were all taught as beginners not to concede a ruff and discard, a ruff and sluff, which uses the meaning of slough "to cast off", but the winning defence on a hand from the EBU SIMs pairs today was to do so twice!

It generally pays to go to the three-level at match points and I was quite happy to compete to 3H here. I must admit I would have gone on to three spades as either West or East, but they gave in. West cashed the top two spades, East showing an odd number, and made the normal switch to the jack of clubs. I put in the queen, more in hope than expectation, and East won.

Now the winning defence is to concede a ruff and discard by playing a third spade. Say South ruffs and leads the king of hearts. Now, as Stefanie pointed out at the time (and Sally did in the booklet to be fair), West can win and concede a second ruff and discard by playing a fourth spade. East will uppercut with the nine of hearts and declarer is beaten. Finding this defence would be worth around 70% of the matchpoints and would be well-deserved. If you are greedy and want 100% then you have to double first and then find it!

This leads me on to slough, pronounced sluff. In addition to shedding skin, some snakes also squeeze their prey, and such an opportunity presented itself on the following hand. But the timing must be right. The python moves incredibly fast in crushing a rodent before the latter can get its teeth into the python's neck.

North opened 2NT in our room. We play this as 23-24, so that when we open 2C it is either 20-22 or 25+. This seems to work quite well and we have had a few successes playing in 3 of a minor after the former. I decided to bid 3C, 5-card stayman, and then 3NT on the South hand. I could have shown four spades, but with around 30.5 points, computer simulations suggest that no-trumps usually makes the same number of tricks. On this occasion it did not matter and East led a spade to the ten and ace. Stefanie  played a club to the queen which held, although that was no guarantee of the ace being onside. She now sensibly cashed three rounds of hearts to see where she stood in that suit and they broke. Now, fatally, she cashed the fourth heart which squeezed dummy in an unusual way, and she only made 11 tricks, still worth about 70% strangely. The line for 12 tricks was to lead the ten of clubs now. Say East wins and exits with a club. Now you win the king of clubs, cash one top diamond, and the ace of spades say, and only now play the last heart in the four-card ending. East must pitch a diamond and now you pitch a spade from dummy, and cross to the queen of spades, squeezing West in clubs and diamonds. A non-simultaneous double squeeze. Of course, if you are self-kibitzing, you would bid and make 6NT, to make sure of your top.

Double Trouble
By Foxymoron

One of the best articles explaining what to do when the opponents pre-empt is the following by the excellent bridge writer and teacher, Larry Cohen:

Doubles
When your opponents preempt, there is a place on the convention card to mark whether double is "Takeout" or "Penalty."  (There used to be a box called "Optional" -- I lobbied hard to get that ridiculous choice removed - what the heck is "optional?" -- anyway, it is now gone).

If you mark "Penalty," maybe your last name is Fishbein. Harry Fishbein invented a convention whereby a double of a preempt is for penalty (and the next suit is for takeout). What do I think of this unpopular convention? Let's just say that even Fishbein didn't play FISHBEIN!

When the opponents preempt, a double is for takeout. Period. Whether in direct seat or balancing seat, nobody plays double for penalty.

On what level? Surely on the 2- and 3-level everyone plays double for takeout. What about the 4-level?

4-Level Doubles
A double should still be takeout. Some teachers espouse that doubles of 4H  are takeout but doubles of 4S  are penalty. What do I think of that one?

What would you do if RHO opened 4S and you held:  ª3 ©AK54 ¨AQ74 §K842? You would double, of course. But, to call this a "Penalty" double makes no sense. You would be delighted to hear partner remove to 5H with, say:  ª862 ©QJT872 ¨KJ2 §3.  You would make 5H  instead of collecting (at best) a measly penalty. If your double of 4S  is "Penalty," partner won't remove it. So, it is silly to define doubles of any pre-empt as penalty. (What are the odds that you will get dealt a trump stack when your opponent also has a very long, usually good suit? Infinitesimal!) If you ever do get dealt a penalty double, you have to calmly pass, hopefully in tempo, and pray that your partner doubles for takeout. You will then be able to convert (by passing) for penalties. If they buy it undoubled, so be it--you can't cater to everything. In case you are wondering, a bid of 4NT would show a 2-suited takeout (at least 5-5).

The following hand from the Woodberry Pairs this week had the Cohenites taking out the double and getting 88% while the Fishbeinites were left with less than 10%:

There is not a lot to the play. If North can find the diamond switch he can beat 5C two, but this will always be a good result for EW as 4S was making, and -590 was not a good result as three pairs found to their cost.

The moral is to take out your partner’s take-out doubles, but first of all partner should double when he does not mind if you take it out or leave it in.

Duck Soup
by Foxymoron

I think for about the third time in a row, I went off here in a game I could make; and again I did not give the hand my best shot.  The auction was fairly typical but plenty of Wests led a diamond, which led to an overtrick when declarer set up the clubs, mundanely. Now declarer has a double spade stop and can not be beaten. I faced a low spade lead, and needed in theory to duck the first trick to succeed. Now I can win the second spade, concede a diamond, win the third spade, and run four rounds of hearts, triple squeezing West. He can come down to ♠JT ♦J8 ♣KQ. Now I can duck a club, and the defence only has four tricks.

The defence is pretty hard if I win the first spade and lead a diamond immediately. West has to duck. Now best is to cash four rounds of hearts, but West discards the jack and ten of spades, and keeps three clubs. Now his partner can be reached in spades with the 98 and has two hearts to cash. Of course none of this happened when I was at the helm, as I just played for a favourable club position, but I think I need ♣KQx ♣KQ, ♣KT or ♣QT onside,  or ♣KQ offside if I read it. With the hearts 0-6, I guess the first two of these are unlikely.

I must admit I would lead a diamond on the above hand, as did many Wests, and that gets only 15% of the match-points. At least when I did not find the club layout I needed, I managed to salvage 30% by playing the strip squeeze on West for one off.

Hands from the 2000 Bermuda Bowl Round Robin

Nikos Sarantakos  provides some commentary to these hands. Comments by Paul Lamford (Foxymoron) at the end of each hand in italics. They were all played at the Woodberry on 30th June 2020.

The Swan

Round 4, Board 1                          

Dealer: N                        

Vul: None                                                

            KQT42                

            J                    

            T9876                

            Q4                   

                                 

    J86             5            

    Q5              T62          

    KQ52            J43          

    KT98            A76532       

                                 

            A973                 

            AK98743              

            A                    

            J                    

Allegedly 7-4-1-1 hands (whose shape has been described as a swan by Culbertson) play better in the long suit but this was not the case here. Only 6 out of 20 pairs missed the slam, curiously including both US teams and Canada. If North opens a Lucas 2S, South might just bid RKCB and get there easily. Club pre-emption, if North passes, will be harder to deal with - Foxymoron

Am I missing something?

Round 2, Board 2                          

Dealer: E                        

Vul: NS                                                    

            KT                   

            854                  

            A9632                

            653                  

                                 

    J753            942          

    QJT9            AK732        

    J7              KQT          

    KQT             92           

                                 

            AQ86                 

            6                    

            854                  

            AJ874                

No fewer than eight NS pairs won the bidding in some diamond contract, from 3D to 5D and some made game despite at least four losers! The normal lead of a top heart lets through 4D by North, but a trump leads beats it two. It is indeed hard to see how someone could have made 5D! – Foxymoron

Another way to score 800

Round 4, Board 3                          

Dealer: S                        

Vul: EW                                                     

            KJ7                  

            AK985                

            AKJ3                 

            T                    

                                 

    A8652           QT94         

    QJ7             642          

    T8              6            

    K53             AQ874        

                                 

            3                    

            T3                   

            Q97542               

            J962                 

Indonesia NS scored 800 here by making 5D redoubled. It is not obvious why the Australian E or W doubled and I don't have the bidding records, but three of his counterparts also did so. After the redouble, EW might have thought to run to 5S. This would possibly also cost 800, so at least they had found a more original way to concede this score. The Chinese bid 6D despite Blackwood and they made it after the Poles failed to cash their aces.

A favourable weak 2D (or 3D) looks in order for South here and North might well raise to 5D whether or not West overcalls.  East should go quietly – Foxymoron.

How do you score 980?                                   

Round 7, Board 4                          

Dealer: W                        

Vul: Both                                                   

            QJ93                 

            Q3                   

            862                  

            AK84                 

                                 

    KT5             A8742        

    K542            AJ98         

    943             KT7          

    J62             3            

                                 

            6                    

            T76                  

            AQJ5                 

            QT975                

How do you score 980 with the NS cards? Not by bidding a slam (you are vulnerable in any case) - against New Zealand the South Africans managed it by making 11 tricks in one notrump doubled! Five clubs, four diamonds, and perhaps two spades? Alas, we don't have the play records. I expect the defence did not find the heart switch after a low spade to the king and a second spade. But there was no defence to seven tricks in any case.– Foxymoron.

Ten points, ten tricks

Round 5, Board 5                          

Dealer: N                        

Vul: NS                                                   

            K                    

            Q9652                

            KQ652                

            T8                   

                                 

    876             AQ932        

    K4              J83          

    A3              T            

    QJ7632          K954         

                                 

            JT54                 

            AT7                  

            J9874                

            A                    

At three tables, this deal was passed out; at first glance this is reasonable, for each hand has the exact average of 10 high card points. At second glance, at the tables where the bidding was opened, the majority of declarers made 10 tricks, usually in diamonds by NS. I would throw it in if it reached me as West with only 13 “Pearson Points” the sum of my Miltons and my Spades <15. – Foxymoron.

Bidding challenge

Round 7, Board 6

Dealer: E                        

Vul: EW                                                   

            K7653                

            9                    

            K42                  

            QJ94                 

                                 

    J8              Q92          

    Q875            KT           

    JT987           AQ65         

    52              A873         

                                  

            AT4                  

            AJ6432               

            3                    

            KT6                  

After East opens 1NT how can NS play in spades? Not so easy and in fact 16 out of 20 declarers played in 2H and all but four of them went down. Spades plays much better. Four NS pairs did reach spades - against weak no-trumps. They made 8, 9, or 10 tricks (this by the Australians against USA2, and they had even bid 4S! Apparently such exercises did not fare well in the long term, for the Australians lost their match by 95 to 27 IMPs). It is normal to play Multi-Landy over either no-trump range and bid 2D on the South hand, and North will bid 2H. My methods with Gary Jones would also fail in that we would bid 2C showing four or six hearts (but not five). This would get to 2H by South – Foxymoron.

No King in sight

Round 19, Board 7

Dealer: S                        

Vul: Both                                                      

            843                  

            A5                   

            A9                   

            QJT753               

                                  

    K               JT9762       

    KJ843           T972         

    K532            64           

    642             K            

                                 

            AQ5                  

            Q6                    

            QJT87                

            A98                  

In nine matches out of 10, 3NT was played at both tables, so only overtricks were the matter. Against South Africa, Argentina bid 6C. Note that all four kings are missing, and both black kings are bare. In any case, they made the contract. But they would have gained a good swing even by staying at game, for S Africa, NS stayed at 4C. If South opens a strong NT, North may transfer to clubs and slam might be reached, but it needs a lot. If you bid and made the cold 7C, dropping the stiff KS, beware – bridgecheaters.com is monitoring this site! – Foxymoron.

SuperMoysian

Round 4, Board 8                          

Dealer: W                        

Vul: None                        

                                 

            Q97                  

            53                   

            K9853                

            653                  

                                 

    854             KJT2         

    KQT98           AJ6          

    AJT7            Q            

    K               AQJT7        

                                 

            A63                  

            742                  

            642                  

            9842                 

13 of the 20 EW pairs bid slam here, but the Brazilians were the odd men out. For some reason they alighted at 6C at their 5-1 fit. No problem, they made it as well and they gained a swing against the 4H+2 recorded by the Bulgarians. After the start 1H-2C-2D East should bid 2S, FSF. Now West has to bid 3H with no spade stop, and East might well ask for key cards before bidding slam. North should lead a spade giving West a nasty guess as North might well have the ace. – Foxymoron.

A good steal

Round 1, Board 9                          

Dealer: N                        

Vul: EW                          

                                 

            9                    

            A8752                

            A643                 

            AT5                  

                                 

    AJ874           KQT5         

    9               KJ4          

    KQ2             JT97         

    KQ73            82           

                                 

            632                  

            QT63                 

            85                    

            J964                 

EW have an easy 4S but NS of S Africa (v China) and of France (v Canada) stole the board in 2H and made this (the French with an overtrick). If North opens 1H and South raises to 2H, West should bid 2S which will lead to an easy game. Even 3H should only keep out the occasional kudu in the West seat. – Foxymoron.

Mystery

Round 6, Board 10                         

Dealer: E                        

Vul: Both                                                   

            4                    

            Q852                 

            KQJ975               

            Q7                   

                                 

    KQ53            J76          

    KT9             A6           

    4               T863         

    KT986           J532         

                                 

            AT982                 

            J743                 

            A2                   

            A4                   

Almost all NS pairs played in hearts and made 10 tricks; the Taipei EW players managed to steal the board at 2SX - and they even made it despite the trump break! (presumably South never led trumps?). Scoring -670 instead of +420 was not a good result, but the mystery is how on earth went the bidding; didn't South open 1S? South might have opened an off-shape 1NT but it is hard to see how West showed his spades. 4H cannot be beaten by South, but by North a club lead beats it routinely; amusingly a low spade from East also beats game –Foxymoron.

Super-super Moysian

Round 4, Board 11                         

Dealer: S                        

Vul: None                                                    

            K65                  

            -                    

            T9743                

            AQJT5                

                                 

    T98             432          

    T96             87432        

    KQ86            J5           

    872             K96          

                                 

            AQJ7                 

            AKQJ5                

            A2                   

            43                   

Six clubs is doomed on a diamond lead and presumably this happened all five times it was bid, so it failed unanimously. However, three times NS elected to bid 6NT and twice this attracted a "safe" spade lead (I presume again) so it made. Six Spades in the real Moysian is a good contract. If the club is right, then there is no real problem, and on the actual hand the only defence is the remarkable low diamond lead from West. On the KD lead, South wins, ruffs a low heart in dummy, draws trumps and cashes the hearts throwing clubs. Now he exits with a diamond with West having Kx and East stiff jack. The crocodile coup now fails which is why the initial low diamond lead is needed!! Of course no declarer is going to play this line with the simple alternative of the club finesse available – Foxymoron.

Wires crossed

Round 8, Board 12                         

Dealer: W                        

Vul: NS                                                   

            5                    

            T76                  

            Q9754                

            AQ43                 

                                 

    KQ9             JT632        

    A8              9542         

    JT8             K3           

    T9876           K5           

                                 

            A874                 

            KQJ3                 

            A62                  

            J2                   

NS can make a low partial in a red suit or one notrump, but in practice EW will find their spades and go down in 2S or higher. When USA1 played Bulgaria, however, Nickell and Freeman got their wires crossed over some obscure enemy call and finished in 6C by NS. It went down 6 doubled for 1700. I expect most will get to 1NT by South, either by opening that or rebidding it. – Foxymoron.

Are you disciplined?                             

Round 19, Board 13                         

Dealer: N                        

Vul: Both                        

                                 

            QJ9                  

            -                    

            AT652                

            A6532                

                                  

    AK862           T            

    8               AKQJT7542    

    K74             93           

    KJ98            7            

                                 

            7543                 

            963                  

            QJ8                  

            QT4                  

Suppose that NS venture 5D against your 4H and partner doubles. Are you disciplined enough to pass or you believe that a 9-card suit entitles you to bid on? Five hearts can be beaten and it was beaten two times out of four, while 5D went for 1400. Top for NS was achieved by the French who recorded 1480 against Australia (4H redoubled making five). I would overcall 4H on the East hand if North opens 1D, and that should end the auction, but I can understand North bidding again. East should now double to show a good 4H bid, and West will have an easy pass. It is wrong to bid 5H before partner can act. – Foxymoron.

Minor slam

Round 10, Board 14                         

Dealer: E                        

Vul: None                        

                                 

            9643                 

            T52                  

            J2                   

            9742                 

                                 

    AJT8            KQ7          

    Q9              AK87         

    K76543          Q98          

    A               863          

                                 

            52                   

            J643                 

            AT                   

            KQJT5                

Six diamonds is on as the cards lie, but three pairs who played at 3NT went down. The majority were in a sensible 5D. A weak NT by East will see West use Stayman and then force to game with 3D. East should pass the time of day with 3H now and West might bid 4D with some worry about clubs. 6D is about 50%, but 3NT makes on a club lead if declarer plays four rounds of spades, triple squeezing South who has to part with a club to keep the hearts guarded. - Foxymoron.

Clubs anyone?

Round 15, Board 15                         

Dealer: S                        

Vul: NS                                                          

            53                   

            KT8652               

            K7                   

            Q86                  

                                 

    K82             QJT96        

    4               QJ73         

    T98642          J3           

    932             T7           

                                 

            A74                  

            A9                   

            AQ5                  

            AKJ54                

 

The 4-1 break dooms the heart slam - clubs is a much better spot and note that with hearts 3-2 there are 13 tricks in clubs. Only the two US teams and Brazil found the club slam. There were a lot of -100s at 6H and a curious 1440 by the French against Sweden at 6NT. Bulgarians achieved a slam-zone score without sweating. They doubled the Chinese EW at 4S. Despite the good fit, declarer was only able to score four trump tricks, so this was 1400. South is too good for a 20-22 2NT and should show 23-24. Now North transfers to hearts and South might bid 3NT, showing only 2H. North is a bit good now for 4H and should bid 4D, a cue. South MIGHT try Six Clubs now, offering a choice of slams but not easy – Foxymoron.

Yarborough fit

Round 4, Board 16                         

Dealer: W                        

Vul: EW                                                         

            AKT                  

            QT                   

            A65                  

            98754                

                                 

    873             96542        

    A5              9743         

    KJ97            43           

    KJT3            62           

                                  

            QJ                   

            KJ862                

            QT82                 

            AQ                   

NS have a boringly easy 3NT and nearly all pairs bid it but in the Nordic derby between Norway and Sweden the Swede thought it better to double EW in 1S! Declarer (presumably East) added insult to injury by making the contract despite the perfect Yarborough he held; actually more than perfect since his combined trump suit was also a Yarborough. The defence can prevail by starting with two rounds of clubs, and then they score four trump tricks for one off but that is not good enough against the cold game NS can make – Foxymoron.

Either seven, or eleven

Round 7, Board 17 (board 1 originally)                          

Dealer: N                        

Vul: None                        

                                 

            T984                 

            -                    

            T64                  

            QJT643               

                                 

    763             J2           

    AK2             T9875        

    J8753           KQ9          

    52              K87          

                                 

            AKQ5                 

            QJ643                

            A2                   

            A9                   

NS won the auction at all 20 tables and usually declarer made either 7 or 11 tricks. It all comes down to North's call after South opens 1H. If he passes, then South plays 1H in his 5-0 fit, hence the 7 tricks (eight were also made at a couple of tables). If he responds 1S, he is raised to game and makes 11 tricks. Indonesians and Canadians contrived to also make 7 tricks -but in 3NT. There is a rule that one should respond with a void in partner’s suit with 3 points and with a singleton with 4. Mike Cappelletti, Jr. told me to always respond with an ace – Foxymoron.

The five level belongs to whom?

Round 13, Board 18                         

Dealer: E                        

Vul: NS                          

                                 

            7652                 

            964                  

            Q3                   

            AJ95                 

                                 

    8               K3           

    AQT73           KJ852        

    97              AJ842        

    Q7642           8            

                                 

            AQJT94               

            -                    

            KT65                 

            KT3                  

A typical situation where Total Tricks are more than Total Trumps: in this case there are 22 or 23 tricks with 20 trumps. The Bulgarians thought that they should not go to the five level, and they doubled USA2 in 4S. This cost 1190 when declarer made 12 tricks. They also sold out to 4H in the other room, so this was the greatest swing of the match. I would always save in 5H but give in to 5S as EW. Generally six-level sacs don’t work although here even 7Hx-3 is par. – Foxymoron.