This week we see the first session of a Swiss Pairs at our club, so I will be looking for deals where an emphasis on teams play strategy is necessary to achieve best results. That means bidding confidently to your games, and taking great care in your declarer play, as well as good defence. All that will come with more play and learning. Maybe I will get some responses from readers this week, I still have not had any responses to the previous review which asked for suggestions on declarer play.
Board 16 from 5/06/19
Dealer W EW Vul
Let us look at just the bidding in the context of either a teams match, or Swiss Pairs, which requires the same tactics as teams. Should North open the bidding? For sure. The vulnerability is favourable, and if partner has diamond support your total losers will decrease dramatically. And you may get the chance to bid clubs later; and if partner has support for your clubs and shortage in diamonds, same thing. So: open the bidding with 1D. East will have no problem in bidding once North opens 1D. A simple overcall of 1S is best, though I would also agree with a double followed by a spade bid later. Why I favour a simple overcall is that if partner has enough to raise immediately, you can go to game. Here, West does have enough to raise. South, by the way, should double 1S to show the four card hearts and sufficient points to double at the one level. Whatever the case, EW should end up in 4S. Should North then try to sacrifice and bid 5C? If South has managed to support diamonds, I would say yes, bid 5D, but unilaterally bidding 5C is not a good idea, especially when you are playing in a mixed field where the declarer play is not always up to scratch. In our Swiss pairs event, only two of thirteen pairs bid 4S and made, a big result for them. Two bid game and failed to make, as did two pairs in 3S. One West made 4H but two failed, and yes, 4H should not make given normal declarer play and defence, you may like to think why. But 4S should always make if declarer takes care and thinks it through.
If you would like to take part in an exercise that will improve your declarer play, you can start by looking at the hand again and decide what East, as declarer, should be thinking about when South leads the three of diamonds against your 4S contract, after North has opened the bidding with 1D. What would YOU be thinking? If you send me your answer, I will send you my analysis. Only those who send in their answers will receive the analysis. Replay this board by clicking here.
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A98732
KQJ83