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Your Call Chapter 2

This freak deal features a high level penalty double, or should it?
Board 25 from Tuesday 2/07/24
Dlr North EW Vul

KQJT8
Q
Q98
JT73
97432
J4
AKJ6
Q4
A9876532
T542
2
A65
KT
73
AK9865

Your Call: Chapter 1

Vil begins his new series with this interesting article - ed

One of the most underused, and misused, bids in bridge is DOUBLE. That is because often there is no clear understanding of when it is “Takeout” and when “Penalty”. Sometimes, admittedly, there can be some overlap, but any pair that can use the double properly will reap big benefits from their bidding. Let’s look at our first example, which comes from a session at X-Clubs, as will our second one in Chapter 2.

Board 11 from Tuesday 2/07/24
Dlr South Nil Vul

AK987
T97
9
AKJ9
J32
K3
AJ4
QT763
Q64
QJ64
KQ82
54
T5
A852
T7653
82

Opening Leads Chapter 19

The second deal from 21/06/24. Unfortunately, it seems that the Hutt club was the only one to play more than 26 boards, but Board 27 is still worth reviewing because of the lessons that can be learnt from it with respect to opening leads. Too few of us think of how an opening lead may be read by partner and any possible unintended consequences.

Board 27 from 21/06/24
Dealer South Nil Vul

JT
AQT82
T83
KQ6
K52
9
J65
AT9752
9763
J543
KQ
J83
AQ84
K76
A9742
4

Opening Leads Chapter 18

This ‘slam’ hand was played at X-Clubs on a recent Friday. I say ‘slam’ because I believe that in most first grade club sessions a slam should be bid at least half the time. Alas, not even close, and when it was bid, hardly ever made. 6S is the slam that I would be bidding but unfortunately, it does not make if the defence know how to defend, though there is a subtle way that 6S could be made if declarer can see all the cards, as can Deep Finesse. But DF can never get defenders to go wrong, and can only play assuming every player plays and defends perfectly. As the cards lie, perfect play means that 6NT can be made and 6S can not. But read on!

Board 18 from Friday 21/06/24
Dealer East NS Vul

JT5
QJT2
K42
T72
Q842
87
QJT93
Q9
6
96543
876
J863
AK973
AK
A5
AK54

Opening Leads Chapter 17

As promised, we can now satisfy those who would have led the queen of diamonds, a lead I have considerable sympathy for. Leading a singleton through dummy’s first bid suit is always not without risk, whereas leading a long suit headed by the QJ10 is completely safe. Being an aggressive optimist on defence, I would always opt for the singleton, but let’s see how a competent pair would defend after South decided to lead the diamond queen against 4H.

Dealer East EW Vul

T9853
A5
AK7
J64
AJ642
64
652
KQ9
KQ
KQJT832
3
A32
7
97
QJT984
T875

SouthWestNorthEast
---1
Pass1Pass3
Pass4PassPass
Pass

Opening Leads Chapter 16

Now for the amazing ‘repeat’ of history. It is said that one learns from history but it seems that few of our readers who have had this almost identical situation have done so. Let me then relate the latest repeat of history.

This chapter, and it will take another one (Ch17) to fully cover both topics, is about COMMUNICATION and DECEPTION. You need to be able to communicate fully with partner on defence, which is why the opening lead and signalling are so important. You also need to be able to deceive the defenders, when necessary, when you are declarer and see that the defenders are on the right track. Legitimate communication between defenders is vital, and misleading the defence by declarer is also necessary some of the time, so try and learn how to be dishonest (well, let’s just say ‘sneaky’) when declarer, and to see through declarer’s lies when you are defending. If you are a good pair of defenders, nothing declarer can do will steer you away from the best defence. But if you are declarer, you can use some tricks of play to lead them astray. Legitimate dishonesty is, after all, part of the art of bridge play. Let’s see how all this might work in practice, using this very interesting deal from just a few days ago.

Dealer East EW Vul

T9853
A5
AK7
J64
AJ642
64
652
KQ9
KQ
KQJT832
3
A32
7
97
QJT984
T875

Opening Leads Chapter 15

There can be quite a difference between theory and real life, especially in bridge. Now that we have discussed a few theoretic deals based on my own past experience, we will take a look at deals that have occurred recently, which is always a good basis to learn from. Quite amazingly, the discussion in the next chapter (16) will centre on an almost identical situation to that which I presented the attendees in a session I ran last year. There really is nothing new under the sun, which is why we are constantly learning in this game. But you will have to wait for that fascinating deal until Chapter 16, for now I have a more mundane deal which still has some points of real interest. This one comes from Friday X-Clubs, as will the one reviewed in chapter 16.

Board 15 from Friday 14/06/24
Dealer South NS Vul

JT
A8
AQT8652
AK
A32
T4
9743
Q943
K98
J752
KJ
J862
Q7654
KQ963
T75

SouthWestNorthEast
PassPass1Pass
1Pass3Pass
3Pass3NTPass
4Pass4Pass
PassPass

Opening Leads Chapter 14

Here is the second one from Tuesday 11th. This time, a standard transfer sequence when the weak No Trump opener is playing in a trump contract. Nothing too different but South will be leading through the weaker hand. Should that make any difference in your approach? Well, a little bit anyway, since you will be leading through weakness and round to strength, if indeed there is any difference. Dummy of course will have the long trump suit.

Board 24 from Tuesday 11/06/24
Dealer West Nil Vul

KJT
98
964
A5432
62
QT754
KT7
KJ9
AQ95
K62
A32
T86
8743
AJ3
QJ85
Q7

SouthWestNorthEast
PassPass1NTPass
2Pass2Pass
PassPass

Opening Leads Chapter 13

The next two opening lead problems have come from recent play, both from X-Clubs on Tuesday 11-June. I will reproduce the full deals, not because I am what sceptics call a ‘results merchant’ but because they do illustrate some important considerations when making what you consider the best opening lead. It may not necessarily lead to the best outcome, but in the long term if you have ‘perfected’ your opening leads, you’ll be able to add considerably to your average session score.

Board 5 Tuesday 11/06/24
Dealer North NS Vul

Q984
T3
QJ9
AT92
A65
KJ64
7654
K6
JT732
5
T32
QJ43
K
AQ9872
AK8
875

Opening Leads Chapter 12

The next opening lead problem received unanimous votes for the queen of hearts but there is a story to go with that, from a long time ago when I discovered a rule I have given myself and followed ever since this particular deal was played, when I was declarer and received that very same unanimous heart lead against a pathetic 1S contract bid exactly this way.

1.The bidding has been:
Dealer South, NS Vul

SouthWestNorthEast
1Pass1Pass
1PassPassPass

Your hand:
J92
QJT4
KJ72
72

Your lead?

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