Controls: Ace = 2, King = 1
Board 12 from Thursday 25/07/2019
Dealer W NS Vul
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T54
AJ53
KJ973
6A number of NS pairs bid this to 6NT. That is what I call the “No Trump” syndrome. Some of the Souths were lucky and got a club lead, a poor choice. When opponents have bid to a confident 6NT the last thing you want to do is give a trick away on the opening lead, so the club lead is too risky. But we’re not here to talk about opening leads or declarer play, just the bidding. South should open 2C and North respond 3D, a positive response that should contain three controls (“an ace and a king”) at least.
South should then ask for aces or key cards and then continue with 5NT in case North has a good enough hand to bid the grand slam. North doesn’t and 6D should be the final contract, not 6NT. Yes, 6NT does make (see by clicking here) but the play is not all that easy to find unless you are Deep Finesse or get a helpful defence. 6D, on the other hand, is impossible to defeat as long as declarer plays it to best advantage.
Another tip: the way we play it, a suit agreement in a game forcing situation is an immediate key card ask. Thus, when North responds 3D to South’s 2C opening, South bids 4D as a key card ask. That leaves more space for slam investigation. The same situation would occur in auctions like 2C-3C-4C or 2C-2H-3H. Worth considering? The play will be reviewed in a coming chapter of “Declare and Defend”
The reader may be interested to know that when I play Evil Acol with a partner, North would open 2D and South would then diagnose (via 2NT) that North has five diamonds and four hearts and 9-11 HCP in the two suits, which makes bidding 6D a no-brainer.
I still have a few books of “Thirteen Tricks and Evil Acol” available if anyone would like to purchase one, for Thursday readers the price is $24.50 including postage. Email me: villyn@xtra.co.nz
