Vil Gravis's blog

X-Clubs Play 14

Declarers and defenders both had the chance to shine on this deal, though I suspect that the best defence and best declarer play was not much often in evidence.

Board 15 from Tuesday 12/04/22
Dealer S NS Vul

T982
T543
QT632
J942
AQ7
K76
K87
AT853
KJ653
A
J9
KQ76
4
QJ982
A54

A Bird’s Eye View

Brilliant defence has always fascinated me, to the extent that I offer this commentary on defence, which comes from an article I wrote 20 years ago inspired by something I read in a very old copy of a well known New Zealand magazine, one I picked up in the local fish and chip shop. This is basically how the story went:

Dealer South NS Vul

984
72
94
AQT964
Q53
QJT94
KJ
J82
JT72
863
Q872
K5
AK6
AK5
AT653
73

Continuing from earlier:

Dummy:

A
AKJ9862
J98
K

You:

Q9752
73
AQ73
Q9

What should be your plan in a 6D contract given AC lead followed by another club?

Horses for Courses

The question

Here is your hand and at nil vul you are fourth in hand after three passes:

Q92
AT876
AJ5
97

Match point scoring: what would you bid
a) if playing at your club (just an ordinary session)?
b) if playing in a multigrade or open tournament?

Answers with reasons to me at villyn@xtra.co.nz please

Some More Answers For You

The two questions I sent out came from the same deal, did you put 1 and 2 together? Of course I did change the vulnerability and NS orientation and also changed the C7 to the jack to make your answers more 'tempting', amazing what difference just one point makes. Here they are again:

You are South
1. Dealer N Nil Vul
The biding has been:

SouthWestNorthEast
--11
?

Some More Bidding For You

Another couple of bidding questions, from a match point session.
You are South
1. Dealer N Nil Vul
The biding has been:

SouthWestNorthEast
--11
?

Your bid holding

742
T98643
AT
J2

RealBridge 03

This comes from a Swiss pairs event at the Wellington Club. There must have been some very average defence, because a number of Souths made 1NT, most with an overtrick.

Board 21 From Monday 21/03/22
Dealer N NS Vul

AQ432
AT9
74
KT2
J965
J85
AT5
J85
T8
K643
Q82
AQ94
K7
Q72
KJ963
763

Vil's Answers for the Bidding Question

Thanks for all your answers to what were not easy questions. Not everyone was in agreement, and nobody, unsurprisingly, agreed with me on the very first problem. Here is what most of our panelists thought:

You are South each time and match points.

1. Dealer East NS Vul
The bidding has been:

SouthWestNorthEast
---1
?

Your bid holding

J9632
AKT2
AK43

RealBridge 02

There was some not so good declarer play and defence on this deal, a deal that should not have presented either declarer or defenders with a problem. As it happened, nothing made any difference to the end results. But there is a lesson to be learnt nevertheless.

Board 2 from Monday 14/03/22
Dealer E NS Vul

862
643
QJT7652
KT973
J7542
AQ
9
AJ54
Q8
KT972
K4
Q
AKT963
J85
A83

Some Bidding For You

You are South each time and match points.

1. Dealer East NS Vul
The bidding has been:

SouthWestNorthEast
---1
?

Your bid holding

J9632
AKT2
AK43

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