Vil Gravis's blog

I don’t expect that there would be any bidding on this hand until it comes round to West, but that is not a given, especially if you’re playing in a more adventurous session.

Board 17 from Wednesday 13/02/2019
Dealer N Nil Vul

	985 53 J52 AKJ65
AKQ4 AK AKT T874		JT762 JT986 6 Q3
	3 Q742 Q98743 92

At the risk of being called a bore and being obsessed with slams, let me once more state that bidding slams should be EASIER than games or part scores because there is less complexity in most slams. Making slams is also often easier because you can lose only one trick if in a small slam, or no tricks at all in a grand slam and more often than not there are twelve or thirteen top tricks. Counting up to twelve or thirteen should not be a difficult matter for the more advanced players. All that considered, I am astounded that only one pair across the whole of X-Clubs bid to 7S, and only one to 7NT. The pair who bid 7NT were also top of the field in X-Clubs with 67.46%. Well done Sheryl Luo and Tim Pan!

Board 4 from Thursday 7/02/2019
Dealer W All Vul

	93 92 7632 KQJ83
AKQJ654 43 Q9 74		8 AKQJ AJT5 A962
	T72 T8765 K84 T5

The moment South opens the bidding with 1C, North should be thinking slam in clubs, surely? And if not slam, then game. But when North starts slowly by bidding 1D, East has the chance of coming in with a spade bid, which could be, and should be, more than just 1S. That might make the bidding for NS a bit more difficult but should not stop North asking for aces or key cards and settling for a small slam in clubs.
Board 23 from Thursday 31/01/19
Dealer S All Vul

	A 3 AJ9876 QT842
Q985 T986 542 93		KJT632 KQJ5 KT 6
	74 A742 Q3 AKJ75

Replay this board by clicking here.

They say virtue has its own rewards. So does good bidding. Here is a prime example of that. There is a very good reason why the better bidders try and find a 4-4 or 5-3 fit when appropriate. Take a look:
Board 11 from Thursday 25/01/19
Dealer S Nil Vul

	843 98 JT942 KJT
KQT96 KJT2 6 A652		AJ7 AQ65 A5 9873
	52 743 KQ873 Q42

“Truscott” is a very useful convention, whichever way you play it. When East opens 1H and South doubles, West bids THREE hearts instead of just 2H. That is how the original version of Truscott worked: when you have a fit for partner and an opponent makes a takeout double, raise to one level higher than you would normally, and the 2NT bid now replaces a normal raise to three. Simple enough and very useful.

Board 8 from Thursday 17/01/2019
Dealer N Nil Vul

	A964 Q5 965 J752
KT7 J864 QT73 43		J3 AKT9732 42 A9
	Q852 AKJ8 KQT86