Blogs

X-Clubs Play 24

Submitted by Vil Gravis on Tue, 26/07/2022 - 12:48

Many of your declarer problems will have no sure fire solutions, but you can always give yourself a better chance if you give the problem a bit of thought. As well as that, with a bit of ‘table presence’ and insight into your opponents’ behaviour.

Board 12 from Thursday 21/07/22
Dealer West NS Vul

QT853
A7
QT
AJ86
A6
9854
87632
95
J72
62
AK95
QT74
K94
KQJT3
J4
K32

Any Ideas?

Submitted by Vil Gravis on Fri, 22/07/2022 - 16:04

You are South and dealer at match points. NS vul.
The bidding has been:

SouthWestNorthEast
1Pass2Pass
2Pass4Pass
PassPass

West starts with two top diamonds, the ace and king (East following with the 2 and 3 (standard signals). Then West shifts to the five of hearts. How would you continue from there, here is the layout of your hand and dummy.

Dummy (North)

K94
KQJT3
J4
K32

You (South)

QT853
A7
QT
AJ86

Any ideas to me please --- villyn@xtra.co.nz

X-Clubs Play 23

Submitted by Vil Gravis on Wed, 06/07/2022 - 20:16

Lots of lessons to be learnt from this very ordinary deal from a match point session, though it will also have much relevance to teams play.

Board 6 from Tuesday 5/07/22
Dealer East EW Vul

87653
KQ7
KT92
8
QJT
9843
J3
AKJT
K9
652
86
Q97642
A42
AJT
AQ754
53

X-Clubs Play 22

Submitted by Vil Gravis on Mon, 04/07/2022 - 11:57

To quote one of my regular correspondents: “Deep Finesse is a genius when all the hands can be seen but would be quite dumb at the table”. Here is a perfect example of that.

Board 14 from Friday 1/07/22.
Dealer East Nil Vul

AKT54
9
AQJ6
Q74
Q8732
T2
T732
J6
J6
J753
K984
T82
9
AKQ864
5
AK953

Not So Quick ...

Submitted by Vil Gravis on Tue, 21/06/2022 - 10:31

Vil posed this quick question to his panel:

Teams, dealer West EW vul, you are South.

SouthWestNorthEast
-1Pass1
?

What do you bid holding:

AQT9843
KQ62
T
4

X-Clubs Play 20

Submitted by Vil Gravis on Tue, 21/06/2022 - 09:38

This deal, from a friendly social game, reminded me of similar ones that I have written about earlier, on the topic of unusual opening leads. For a long time now I have advocated adding into one's repertoire the opening lead of an ace against No Trump contracts to show specifically AQx as well as the more normal holdings of AKx or AKxx though with AKxx(x) and no outside entry the fourth highest is generally better. This deal was, unfortunately, not played at X-Clubs, so I have no indication that anyone else would have found the killing lead of the ace of hearts. Look at the full deal and see what would, and what could, happen in a fairly mundane 3NT by EW.

Board 1 Dealer North Nil Vul

6542
KT87
864
J4
AK83
5432
KQ7
65
QJ7
J6
AJ532
KT8
T9
AQ9
T9
AQ9732

The Question

Submitted by Vil Gravis on Thu, 16/06/2022 - 16:33

Teams. NS Vul Dlr East

You are South and hold:

T9
AQ9
T9
AQ9732

East opens 1NT (12-14). You pass, 2C from West, 2D from East, 3NT from West.

Q1. Would you have bid over the 1NT if
a) playing natural overcalls or b) Hamilton (aka Cappalletti or Pottage)

Q2. Now it is your opening lead, which is.....?

Some Observations

Submitted by Vil Gravis on Wed, 08/06/2022 - 15:48

Vil asked a panel of mixed ability about the following hands. He offers his own opinions here.

You are South, match point session.

1. The Bidding has been:
Dealer N EW VUL

SouthWestNorthEast
--1Pass
2Pass2Pass
?

Your bid, holding:

K92
AK
AQ97
KJ87

X-Clubs Play 19

Submitted by Vil Gravis on Wed, 08/06/2022 - 15:24

Board 1 could have got you off to a good start if you were North or South and knew your odds as declarer in a fairly prosaic 3NT. It seems that only Deep Finesse knows the odds but then, it can see all the hands. A reasonably competent declarer does not need to see all the hands to see the possibilities, at least in this deal. However, not one declarer at our club session made twelve tricks in No Trumps, and only a few did across the whole of X-Clubs, some helped by atrocious opening leads.

Board 1 from Thursday 2/06/2022
Dealer North Nil Vul

AK92
AJ7
K864
64
853
8543
QJ95
K2
QJT64
62
72
J853
7
KQT9
AT3
AQT97

X-Clubs Play 17

Submitted by Vil Gravis on Fri, 13/05/2022 - 16:49

Oh what a difference an opening lead can make! This one is straight from the text book but only one East found the trump lead when the bidding screamed for it.

Board 2 from Thursday 12/05/2022
Dealer East NS Vul

Q9
AQ874
AT83
Q5
KT53
J652
K2
K87
A72
KT3
QJ64
T32
J864
9
975
AJ964

Syndicate content