Vil's New Wednesday Series

This is the first “Wednesdays” review in a new series. There is a bidding question at the end. If you send me your answer at villyn@xtra.co.nz, I will send you my thoughts in return.

Board 6 from 10/07/2019
Dealer E EW Vul

	KJ84 J85 A642 Q2
A92 32 KT873 K94		T65 Q964 Q5 J853
	Q73 AKT7 J9 AT76

If you were South, would you open the hand 1NT or 1C? Some points to consider:

• A good 14 count plus two tens makes the hand worth 15 so you could open 1C
• A 1C opening will also ensure that you don’t miss a heart fit if you have one

Now. West: if South opens 1NT, you would be either crazy or suicidal to overcall with 2D. That suit is awful, you are vulnerable, and partner is a passed hand. If South opens 1C, would you overcall 1D?
While it may be tempting, ask yourself what that will achieve. Probably very little, and partner will expect a better hand and better diamond suit from you.

Next, we focus on North. If South opens 1NT and West does bid 2D, North should double, which should be a penalty double after South’s 1NT. That is why you play a weak 1NT. I shudder to think what would happen to West then, but let’s not go there. I would not even overcall a 1C opening with the West hand.

If South opens 1NT and West passes, North should bid 2C, which is Stayman. South bids 2H and North now bids 2NT, telling South that North has four spades and 11 HCP. South has a maximum, so goes to game.

This is about bidding so I need not tell you that 3NT should go down on a diamond lead, but in fact made three times out of four when it was bid. Any pairs that ended up in spade contracts at any level should go back to their notes on 1NT openings, even though it does look possible to make 4S, which not one of the pairs in any spade contract managed to do. You can try these things for yourself by clicking here.

Finally, a bidding problem from the same session. As South you hold

KJ862

QJ93

J

K94