Some Tricky Answers (06)

You are South each time.
Dealer S NS Vul

AKJ43

AJ72

AJT6

a) The bidding has been:

South	West	North	East
1	2	Pass	Pass
?

Double would seem to be the obvious answer here, but the problem is that partner almost certainly has clubs and may pass for penalty, yielding anything between +100 and +500 when a vulnerable game is on for NS if North has at least four hearts and just a few values. But most of us would agree with the double. At least a positive score is most likely, though the problem will still be there if partner now bids 2D or 2H: do you then keep bidding? At least, if you do double and partner bids 2S, you have enough evidence to pass and play in 2S, which is likely to be as much as you can make your way. Nevertheless we have some optimists like Dean, who would bid 3C: “not prepared to have partner pass 2C doubled”.

Optimistic, yes, but with that bidding, not an unreasonable expectation, is it? Nobody suggested a bid of 2H, but why not? Partner would no doubt raise with anything like Kxxx in hearts and something in diamonds (if you have a partner who trusts you and whom you can trust). The question remains though: would partner pass a double and would your resultant plus score be good
enough?

b) The bidding has been:

South	West	North	East
1	2	Pass	Pass
?

What would you bid?

How awful! West has bid one of your second suits but at least you still have the heart suit. The takeout double is likely to achieve little, as partner will probably bid clubs. Seems logical to just bid 2H now does it not? Everyone is in agreement here. Well, apart from one who shall remain anonymous, and who is satisfied just to take a positive and pass.

c) The bidding has been:

South	West	North	East
1	2	Pass	31
?

What would you bid?

A very clear cut double, obviously for takeout and therefore not only showing four hearts but also a willingness to double 3D, which would be for penalties should West now retreat to 3D. Highly unusual bidding but when you have clueless opponents, nothing is impossible!

2. Match Points
Dealer E NS Vul
Your hand:

QJ

AQT32

985

832

The bidding has been:

a) would you have bid or passed? If bid, what?

No bidders, with everyone passing, expecting a reasonable penalty. But wait...there’s more!

b) Your lead?
This is not as clear cut as you may think. Leading ‘fourth highest of longest and strongest’ seems obvious, but stop and think:

There is no certainty that North has the full “15 plus” for the double. In that seat North could well have a reasonable 13 or 14, as was pointed out by Gerry. However, he still leads a low heart, “no other choice”. But Wojo leads the SQ and so does someone who claims he hates opening lead problems, Bob. Why? As Bob says: “a heart may work better but may well give declarer a trick he is not entitled to.”

I believe that, because we can’t know that we have game on our way, or that every East will open 1NT, we must try and defeat the 1NT by as much as we can, not just defeat it. If other NS pairs are bidding to game and making it then how are we going to defeat 1NT by four tricks? Certainly only if partner has spade tricks and then we have heart tricks. So, I suggest that under the circumstances, the SQ is the best opening lead. Not everyone will agree but just for your information, this was the full deal that led to this particular question:

Dealer E NS Vul

	AK932 95 A64 K73
64 K864 JT7 JT64		T875 J7 KQ32 AQ9
	QJ AQT32 985 852

As you can see, it was a very unusual deal, nothing like what we might imagine, with NS not even being able to make 2H or 2S on best defence, and East making 1NT on a low heart lead. On the queen of spades opening lead followed by the jack, and then the queen of Hearts, NS will defeat 1NT by two tricks, a huge result in the scheme of things. Do you agree with North’s double of 1NT? I certainly do, and I also believe that without a double, South would lead a low heart and 1NT would make, perhaps even with an overtrick. I did not make a note of the actual results when I jotted this deal down for posterity some time ago.

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