District 8 Solvers Forum -- February 2013

    by Nate Ward, Champaign IL

1.  IMPs, both vulnerable  

What is your call as South holding   Void   A7543   KQJ1097   92 ?

We start with what I thought might be a 100% vote for bidding your longest suit, but it didn’t end up like that at all. While the panel voted mostly for 2D, the solvers were split almost equally between that and double.

SPEAR: “Double: Do not try this bid at home, or expect to score any points in the Forum. When I next bid 5D over 4S, at least I will avoid playing in a poor heart fit, although I may not be high enough.”

Wouldn’t 2D accomplish this also? Another danger is that partner may pass.

There were also some votes for 2H. Leading the charge was a former partner of mine:

MERRITT: “2H. I will start with hearts so that I can come back to diamonds without unilaterally barreling us into game.”

That will be hard when it goes 4S – Pass – Pass back to you, as brought up by some other panelists:

WALKER: “2D. More spade bids are forthcoming. I may lose a heart fit, but at least I'll find a good trump suit. I don't want to hear any false preference from partner, which might happen if I bid 2H and then 5D over their 4S.”

HINCKLEY:  "2D.  Seems clear with the suit disparity, especially at IMPs.  I may be bidding 4NT takeout on my next bid over 4S!"

PAULO: “2D. Natural and forcing.”

I couldn’t agree more.

2. Matchpoints, NS vulnerable   

What is your call as South holding   53   KJ96   J10763   103 ?

Fortunately, no one fell for 3NT on this one. While it could be right, it really rates to be wrong.  Even if they lead a heart, that might not be very good for us. Instead, this fell into three camps. First, those that wanted to give partner a little breathing room.

HINCKLEY: “4D. How much will partner with 3-0-4-6 shape hate those wasted heart values? I think there is a fair chance 4D and 4H are both down one and will risk they don't whack 4D. I'd pass with only four diamonds.”

KESSLER: “4D. Too many diamonds to double non-vulnerable opponents. Even beating it one rates to be a bad score.”

MERRITT: “4D. I take the coward's way out and raise partner. I have good support, but the lack of useful controls makes me wonder what value my hand is actually worth.”

Next, those that thought partner had hit a goldmine.

SPEAR: “Sounds like pard has five diamonds and six clubs, and our side will be taking a lot of tricks on offense. I may only have one working high-card-point, so I can't do much more without being accused of overbidding.”

ENGEL: “5D. If partner isn't void in hearts, I've been wrong before.”

And last, but not least, a truly optimistic soul.

KNIEST: “5D. 3NT may have nine peelers, but I expect an uptrick in 5D with the heart ace lead for a good matchpoint result.”

Those not wanting to support partner had other plans, perhaps influenced by that heart nine.

WALKER: “DBL. Taking the sure thing. I have no idea if we can make 5D (or 3NT?), but I do know they can't make 3H.”

BRIDGE BARON:  "DBL. Pure simulation: Average score of +386.67 is expected for defending 3H doubled, +95.67 for playing 5D."

SOPER: “DBL. If partner pulls, I'll have a better idea what to do next round.”

I wouldn’t count on partner pulling.

3.  Matchpoints, EW vulnerable               

What is your call as South holding  A87543   Void   A764   J102 ?

Go low or go high? Tough to know, so maybe punting to partner is the right answer?

SPEAR: “3H. It looks like we have very few losers, but may not be able to trump many diamonds if pard has only 3-card support. Let's go slow and see what we can find out.”

Jack at least wants to have a chance to get to game, while some are truly pessimistic about this hand.

RABIDEAU: “3S. Partner must have some degree of wastage in hearts. I'm taking the low road.”

MATHENY: “3S. I would bid game at IMPs.”

Most settled for bidding what was under their nose.

KAPLAN: “4S. With a sixth spade and all these controls, I want to be in game. I am hesitant to cuebid. I'm expecting decent spade support and shortness in diamonds. But I also think I will find heart values.”

KNIEST: “4S. No slam try for me.”

ENGLE: “4S. I think 2H from partner would have been natural, so I bid game in response to partner's only cuebid.”

At the other end of the spectrum, we have a lone vote that I would give 110 if possible.

WALKER: “4H. Partner is probably short in diamonds, which means he'd rather hear about the heart control than the diamond ace. The jump shows shortness (I think it should suggest a void on this auction) and lots of enthusiasm for slam.”

What is your call as South holding   QJ10943   A4   743   K2 ?

Is this an opening hand, or not? One vote I am not surprised by at all:

KESSLER: “1S. If I did something different, it would go against my whole theory of bidding. This hand is better than any 11-14 balanced hand. I do not know how to describe a semi-solid six-card major with 1 1/2 tricks outside as a passed hand.”

The one passer did not have a plan for how he was going to do that either, Mark.

ENGEL: “Pass. I don't think this is 'too good' for 2S, but wrong for 2S in that partner will never expect two defensive tricks from me. If forced to bid, it's 3S at these colors.”

There were a few who perhaps misread the vulnerability on this board as well.

MERRITT: “2S. I have had a maximum before; it is just rare.”

The majority went for the normal 1S bid, some even noticing we were at favorable vulnerability!

HINCKLEY: “1S. I play reasonable quality preempts compared to most -- but my partner will never play me for this much white vs. red at matchpoints if I open 2S.”

WALKER: “1S. Two too many playing tricks for a white-vs-red 2S, and I can't talk myself into passing.”

RABIDEAU: "1S. I find that 109 of spades irresistible."

SPEAR: “1S. This would be a 2S bid for me at this vulnerability without the heart ace and club king.”

5.  IMPs, none vulnerable       

What is your call as South holding  KQJ983   AK76   J3   5 ?

Show our second suit, or show really good spades? I thought this one was easy, but some panelists decided they had to show those good spades.

KESSLER: “3S. Partner could have made a negative double, so he probably has fewer than four hearts. 3S is the best description of our hand. “

So true, but what if partner has a similar hand to the one we had in problem #1?

WALKER: “3S. The reflexive 2H is a waste of a bid and it hides the great spades. Partner would have made a negative double if he was interested in my heart holding.”

If I had the 10, I think I could agree more with this, but since diamonds -- and even possibly hearts -- are still possible contracts, I don’t want to eat up the three-level in one fell swoop.

RABIDEAU: “2H. Can't partner be 1-4-6-2 or similar?  Spades can wait (he said confidently).”

KNIEST: “2H. Let's hear the rebid – will play game in one of the top three suits.”

PAULO:  "2H. If I don't bid hearts now, partner -- with, for example, 1=4=5=3 distribution -- will never bid them."

KAPLAN: “2H.  Just because partner bids 2D doesn't mean he doesn't have hearts (see above). I'm bidding game somewhere on this hand. Assuming I have the opportunity, I will bid spades again to show my length and strength there.”

6. IMPs, none vulnerable  

  * Splinter (heart support, diamond shortness)     

What is your call as South holding   K3   K10872   J765   A2 ?

Bash slam, or find out more from partner? You couldn’t have a much better minimum to bash, as evidenced by the majority of the panel.

KESSLER: “6H. Too many hands where it is cold or has a really good play--plus another chance for opponents to take a phamtom save.”

MERRITT: “6H. I bid what I think I can make. I wouldn't be embarrassed to talk about this hand in the post-mortem if I am wrong. No other bid seems more descriptive.”

SPEAR: “6H. The hands I am visualizing for pard make this the right spot. If I am accused of overbidding here, it won't be the first time...”

MATHENY: “6H. My black-suit honors are great!”

One panelist thought this hand was so good, he made a stronger move.

VONGSIVIVUT: “6C. First-round control.”

How about getting partner involved in the decision? While it looks like we don’t need much to make six, that may not be the limit of the hand.

KAPLAN: “Pass. I think that pass and pull is stronger than bidding 5H here. Sounds like partner might be 6-5 with a fine hand and a double fit for us. If partner doubles, I'll bid 5H and maybe we'll find 6 -- if it's right.”

WALKER: “Pass. Forcing, planning to pull a double to 5H to show slam interest. This 11-count is looking like extra values to me.”

ENGEL: “Pass. If partner can bid 5D, I'll risk 5NT next.”

Why not 6C, in case he does have the 6-5 that Peg alludes to -- or even AQJxxx, AQxx, void, xxx ?

Thanks to all who sent in answers and comments to this challenging set. Topping all Solvers with perfect scores of 600 were Petter Haram of Aalesund, Norway and Bob Sievers of Champaign IL. They're invited to join the April panel.

We are still working out some bugs with the scripts that display the scores. We will post individual scores for the December and February issues as soon as those are resolved.

In the meantime, the web form is working and all submissions are being recorded, so I hope you'll give the April problems a try (see below). Please submit your solutions by March 30 on the web form. 

     April moderator:  Jack Spear   jspear@everestkc.net