Vil Gravis's blog

Vil is starting a new series which he's picking will be of interest to only a few players. The concept is simple: 5 card majors, a strong (15-17) 1NT and a GAME FORCING 1NT response to all 1-level opening bids. Anyone interested in following the series can get the articles first hand by registering with him (villyn@xtra.co.nz). His articles will be published on this site while he continues to answer any questions anyone may have and helps juniors as much as possible

This system is based on “Five Card Majors”
We have all gotten used to responding to partner’s opening of one of a suit in time-honoured fashion: bid our suit at the one level, or bid 1NT with “6-9” if we haven’t enough points (usually 10+) to bid at the two level. But how often do we really need to bid 1NT? With ‘five card majors’ that is something that I find can be circumvented, with the 1NT response being far more useful to create a game going scenario, with many, many advantages to off-set the loss of the 6-9 1NT response. Read on if getting more out of your system interests you

We saw in No.7 how a slam might have been bid using “splinters” but hindsight is a wonderful thing.
Let me show you another and very similar layout, where you might consider splintering but a slam is
near impossible.

South	West	North	East
1	Pass	2	Pass
?

You are sitting South and your hand is:

AT964

AQJ9

9

KQ9

A much better hand than earlier, so surely a splinter bid of 4D is in order. And responder also has a
better hand than we saw last time:

Q2

KT876

KQJ

AJ87

Not enough people play strictly major oriented takeout doubles, and then they find that because they
don’t trust partner to be on the same page, end up in the wrong contract. Here is a good example

You are SOUTH, Both vulnerable, dealer West.

South	West	North	East
-	1	X	2

Your hand is:

42

AT42

J4

AJ987

Here is another one that has a 100% answer. It should be easy for anyone who can count but despite the
fact that the giveaway clue of “Precision 1C” should have told us everything, there were a number of
players who would still take a finesse that was certain to lose, and not take a finesse that was certain to
succeed!

Let me show you the full deal as it was at the time it was played some years ago
Dealer W NS Vul

	QJ7 AQT93 972 K3
K KJ7 AKJT6 J986		6542 654 Q54 754
	AT983 82 83 AQT2

West is dealer, NS vulnerable; the bidding has been:

South	West	North	East
-	1	1	Pass
1	2	2	Pass
3	Pass	4	Pass
Pass	Pass

West’s 1C was alerted and explained as a PRECISION 1C 16+ high card points, any shape. East’s
pass, after partner’s 1H overcall, has been explained as 0-5. West leads the ACE OF DIAMONDS, East
follows with the three (‘reverse attitude’) and West continues with the king, then another diamond, East
producing the queen. Declarer ruffs.

Another teams match and the bidding:

Dealer West All Vul

South	West	North	East
-	1NT	Pass	2
Pass	2	Pass	4
Pass	Pass	Pass

1NT has been announced as ‘12-14’. 2C is Stayman.
Your partner leads the seven of hearts. Dummy comes down and this is the situation:

Dummy:

QT82

QJT

A98

K85

Your hand, as South:

95

A8432

732

Q92

What will be the first two cards played from your hand, and why?