Devil in the Detail

From Wednesday (21/09/2016).
Board 10 was easier to bid for those who play 'five card spades', meaning that an opening bid of 1S guarantees at least a five card suit. That also means that with exactly four spades and three cards in each of the other suits AND a hand that does not fit in the system's No Trump range you open 1C. An easy concept to understand, I think, but even if you open 'four card spades' the deal should not present a problem for the EW pairs that played this one.

Board 10 Dealer E ALL Vul

74
K862
QJ86
KT4
KQT95
Q9754
KT
A
J32
AT3
A43
J975
A86
J
9752
Q8632

After two passes, West opens 1S. What should East do? The answer is easy, whether you play five or four card spade openings. If five card spades, East raises to 3S. A raise from 1 to 3 in partner's suit ALWAYS shows precisely 10-11 HCP and support. Despite only three spades but knowing that West has at least five, the proper bid is a raise to 3S. West has no difficulty in going on to game.

If playing 'four card suits', East does not raise spades but has a good enough hand to advance to the two level, and bids 2C. West now bids 2H, showing at least FIVE spades and FOUR+ hearts. Now, East can bid 3S, knowing West has at least FIVE spades. A bid of 2S could be interpreted as a grudging 'preference' and East is better than that, so the jump raise is justified. Again, West has no difficulty in bidding on to game.

If North makes the lead of a low heart, a good declarer will read this as what it is and make the most of it to make an overtrick. The heart lead can be forgiven if East has raised directly to 3S, but if West has rebid the hearts as a second suit, a diamond lead, the queen, is more sensible. With careful play, declarer can still make an overtrick, but let's just have a look at the actual results on the day.

TWO pairs in 4S, one making five and one making SIX! THREE pairs in 3S with one failing to make, and one languishing in just 2S, and one even worse, with East not having had the courtesy of responding to a 1S opening bid by West. To add insult to injury, that West made SIX but being in just 1S was not worth all that many match points. One West was in 4H, possible if West has the opportunity to show the full 5-5 shape, and one East was in 3NT, obviously the result of West NOT showing his or her shape.