This week I had the pleasure of visiting the Chicago Duplicate Bridge Club. On Friday we had an intermediate F2F class followed by an afternoon game. My partner and I were sitting N/S. You can find the hand records and the results here.
On hand #4, we defended against the normal contract of 3NT with E/W bidding:
2NT-3C (Puppet Stayman)
3D- 3H (4 spades)
3NT-Pass
(Instead of West I would simply bid 2NT-3NT when holding the flat distribution of 4-3-3-3. )
After the poor opening lead of D5, declarer has sure 9 winners. However, half of the field was allowed to make 10 tricks in 3NT. Both North and South had to defend well.
Declarer won the first trick with the DJ. Then
declarer cashed spades pressuring South into making a mistake on discards. But E/W's auction - declarer showing 4 hearts - has helped South to make the correct defensive decision to avoid the fatal heart discard.
Next declarer ducked a heart to North's HJ. North then had to decide: to cash CA and continue with a club; or to play it passive with a diamond continuation. North counted declarer's winners: 4S, 2H, 3D. Surrendering the heart seems risky without a club stopper (CJ). Also counting HCP, declarer shows with 19 HCP and should hold the CJ which means the PASSIVE defense is the correct one.
On hand #6 Matthew D. sitting in West as the declarer in 5S has made a great play against us. The auction was interesting: East opened 2D as Flannery (showing 5H-4S with an opening hand). West bid 2NT. North bid 5C. Eventually E/W ended in 5S.
After the CA lead declarer played correctly to win all the tricks. By analyzing the auction (North jumping to 5C), declarer correctly assumed that South is likely to hold both H and D length with queens. Declarer cashed trumps and finessed against South's DQ. Then declarer played all the remaining spades discarding hearts from dummy. Poor South was squeezed needing to decide whether to hold to the 4th diamond, or the HQ. Well played Matthew.
On #9 my partner in South has made a good sacrifice bid at the part score level. The auction was:
1C (1D) 1S (2D)
DBL (3D) ?
As responder with only 6HCP my partner now bid 3S! Recognizing my support DBL indicating a spade fit & evaluating an offensive hand: the D singleton and the CQ card (located in partner's club suit), South decided to compete with 3S feeling confidence that partner will usually not raise to 4S. Trust is key here. South's 3S bid should be perceived as a competitive rebid (showing an offensive hand) and not an invitational rebid to 4S (showing HCP). Opener should not raise to 4S unless holding extras.
3S went 1 down for a good score when 3D easily makes.
On #14 we bid a good 6D slam. The auction was:
1H-2D
2H-3C
3H-4C
5D-6D
P
Opener South's 2H rebid does NOT show 6 in our methods. Opener's 3H bid showed 6 cards in hearts. North keep bidding shape with 4C.
With the S2 lead, I relied on my opponent's opening lead method to correctly play the hand for an overtrick. I cashed 3 spades. Then went to cross ruff the entire hand winning: 3S, 1H, 1C and 8 diamonds. This was a complete top when all the field played in 3NT. At the slam zone, a minor suit fit is a strong asset!
On #18 we have made a good bid, lead and defense to beat 3NT. Only N/S pair in the field to do so!
East opened 1C. South bid 2D: a weak jump overcall could definitely be made with up to bad 11/12 HCP. West bid 3NT which ended the auction. North simply led partner's suit, the D singleton. In the first trick South finessed against dummy's DJ. Declarer had no chance. After winning the DK declarer tried the SK. South won the SA and a few more diamonds. Down 2.
On #21 my partner in South excelled as declarer in a 2H contract. The auction used a Drury bid:
P-1H
2D-2H
P
We play 2-way Drury using 2D as a 3-card limit raise.
Opponents led a spade, ducked to South's SJ. Declarer timed her actions well:
First declarer established the S winner in dummy for a quick discard. Opponents won the SA and switched to clubs. Declarer won the CA and then crossed to the HA to take a club pitch on the remaining S winner. Then declarer finessed in diamonds (DQ covered by DK) and ruffed the third round of diamond in the dummy. Ruffed a club in hand and ruffed another diamond in the dummy, the last one. Even tough the 4th diamond was overruffed by East, it was from an original defensive heart winner. Declarer made 10 tricks for another well deserved top!
We missbid a good 6D on #22:
South was dealer:
1S-2D
2S-2NT
3NT-4NT
P
In our 2/1, 2S does not show a 6-card suit, could be with a hand lacking a rebid. 2NT by responder is a forcing waiting rebid meant to discover more about opener's distribution. After 3NT, 4NT is quantitative asking partner to bid slam with more than minimum. South holds 2 strong features: 14 HCP and 3 cards in diamonds. South should bid now 5D or even 6D showing maximum (of a minimum hand) with 3 diamonds.
The 6D slam is (again) safer then NT. 6NT makes without a club lead. However, in 6D declarer can make the hand even with the club lead: win the CA. Play the DAK and when the DQ does not drop paly the spades to quickly discard 2 clubs! The defender with the DQ is unable to ruff the spade winners and the slam makes.
We had 66% in this session and easily won 1st. Visiting the Chicago Duplicate Bridge Club was -as always- lots of fun.
Until the next time!
Thanks, Rosede :) Very well played session!
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