Vil Gravis's blog

For some hands, some systems are better than others. The following is a clear illustration of that. If you adhere strictly to what you have been taught, then only a “Big Club' system like Precision will get you to 4H on the NS hands. Many of the Acol players in our session languished
in 1S when, after three passes, South opened 1S and North, not having the required “6+ high card points”, passed. North also could have opened a weak 2H but for the same reason (North would have been taught that a weak 2H opening should have “6-10 HCP”) didn't. This was the deal:

Board 9 from Thursday 23/08/2018
Dealer W EW Vul

	4 JT9872 QJ72 96
T93 A53 AT93 JT5		QJ72 4 865 AQ842
	AK865 KQ6 K4 K73

No matter how often I write about it, things don't change much when players encounter competitive hands. This one should have been bid to 4H one way and at least 4S the other but, at the Hutt club, only about half the field bid to 4S when NS bid to 4H. Some Souths then soldiered on to 5H which was down one, but one brave East pushed on to 5S, which was duly doubled. Alas for our Braveheart (should I say Bravespade?) he somehow lost the way and down four was the result! It is the declarer play that I want to talk about, but to bid 5S was to ignore the well known teaching that “the five level belongs to opponents”.

I suppose there's a hard luck story (of sorts!) in this week's feature hand. You see, 4H or 4S can be made EW. But one pair NS were smart enough to recognise the potential of a non vulnerable vs vulnerable sacrifice and bid 5C which was duly doubled. They were a new and young pair, so their enterprising bidding is to be admired. Unfortunately their declarer play will need improvement because declarer somehow went down four. Not that it mattered, because only one EW pair bid and made the makeable 4S.

Board 3 from Thursday 13/07/20118.
Dealer S EW Vul

	J2 K JT94 KJ6542
AK743 AQ84 52 A9		Q96 J952 K763 T3
	T85 T763 AQ8 Q87

You have no doubt been taught that you should look for a 4-4 major suit fit when partner opens 1NT and you have the values for game. Our opponents bid this hand on that premise and ended up in 4H by East. These were the hands and how the play went:
Board 25 from Thursday 21/06/2018.
Dealer N EW Vul

	7 T92 AT3 JT9863
Q98542 A873 J6 A		KJT QJ65 Q875 K5
	A63 K4 K942 Q742

In match point play you have to be prepared to compete, but at the same time not overdo it. Here is a good example.
Board 14 from Thursday 7/06/2018.
Dealer E Nil Vul

	JT4 AKJ7 AT JT76
KQ98 3 QJ975 K53		A753 865 432 Q92
	62 QT942 K86 A84