Wednesday Play at The Hutt (21)
From last week, a couple of suggestions from readers. Firstly, a recent Wednesday player who has now moved to another night, has suggested that if South opens 1H and West and North both pass, East could then bid 2C. That, I would agree with at a more advanced level of play but for our Wednesday people, basic rules should remain, so East should pass. As it happens, West has a good hand and EW can make 3C, though a club contract was never played on the night.
Another reader, who does not play on Wednesdays but has been playing for many years, has suggested that West could double 1H and then East could bid to 3C in a competitive auction. Takeout doubles are tricky things that we should talk about later, but I believe that many of our ‘oldies’ have learnt many years ago that ‘if you have any opening bid, just double’. That, to my mind, is not the best advice, because I am very much in favour of ‘major oriented’ doubles, which have much more meaning and are much more useful than either the advice to double with ANY opening bid, or to double with the ‘ideal’ shape where you have support for ALL the other three suits. But more on takeout doubles in our coming series, should anyone ask a pertinent question or two.
Board 13 Dealer N All Vul
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T65
QT762
J54
T3More on this deal:
WHAT and HOW:
In response to one of my Wednesday players, this will be a good illustration of the way the next series will be structured:
Question 1: “As North, WHAT should I bid when partner opens 1H after two passes and next player (West) bids 1NT?”
My suggestion: PASS.
WHY? You do have five card heart support, but the overcall has told you that 2H may not be so easy for partner, and defending 1NT, because of your heart suit, may be a better option.
Question 2: “WHAT should I lead against West’s 1NT? I led the queen of hearts, top of my partner’s suit. Declarer made 1NT.”
My comment: Your opening lead of the queen of hearts turned out to be a disaster, didn’t it? Of course West did not have the values (15-18 HCP) for a 1NT overcall, but because of your lead, West was allowed to make 1NT. When you have at least three cards in your partner’s suit, headed by an honour, you should lead your lowest from three or ‘fourth highest’ from four (or more). That a) tells partner what your holding in his suit is; and b) keeps your honour card to cover any second honour card that declarer may have.
The lead of the queen in this particular case left declarer with the AJ sitting over the king, two heart stoppers instead of one. Declarer, for his poor bidding, deserved a bottom board and not a top. If you had led your SIX of hearts, declarer would never have made 1NT. Work through the play and you will see that then declarer will be down by a least one, maybe more if he discards badly on the run of your heart suit.
WHAT AND WHY - That is the theme of my next series. It will be aimed at improving BASIC bidding and play, especially for beginners and improvers. Participants can ask questions and have them answered in, I hope, an understandable and meaningful way. Knowing WHAT to do and WHY we should do it, is most important, asking these questions and getting the answers will be the the best way to learn and improve.
By the end of the series, which will answer questions as well as analyse selected Wednesday hands from May through November, the participant’s BASIC knowledge of WHAT and HOW should be good enough to make the top ranks of Wednesday play and prepare for the next levels.
We all have our expenses and outgoings and this computer is on its last legs, so I think it is not unreasonable to ask for a small fee for receiving the files direct and being able to participate by asking question of relevance to the reader. To register, please send your full name and email address to villyn@xtra.co.nz. Payment of $15 can be made direct to my bank account at Kiwibank: 38-9004-0794849-00
With best wishes for better bridge and better results,
Vil Gravis
