Another deal from X-Clubs that gave both sides the chance to score well or badly. The opening lead against the final contract was not what the results hinged on, but the subsequent declarer play and defence did make a huge difference. Let’s see what happened at X-Clubs.
Board 6 from Tuesday 8/04/2025
Dealer E EW Vul
The weak 1NT can be a two edged sword. East would shake and tremble and have no option but to open the hand 1NT. What should South do? Most would either overcall 2S or, if playing Hamilton, bid 2C. 2S is pretty innocuous, and 2C even worse because it allows West to double and East to then bid the heart suit. As long as EW have a good way to handle opponents’ interference over 1NT, they will surely get to 4H. I believe that the all round ‘value’ bid from South is 3S. And I believe DOUBLE from West should be takeout oriented and show points for game and four hearts. That is because of the specific parameters of the 1NT opening. And the vulnerability of course. If West did not have enough for game, why bid at all? As for the 2S or 2C bids, West’s double should merely be the equivalent of Stayman and ‘happy to play at the next lowest level or penalise opponents’. So, when South leaps to 3S, double from West elicits 4H from opener. It is now that South should consider a sacrifice in 4S and do the maths. 4S is going to be an uncertain proposition, and partner almost certainly has four hearts, but nevertheless many Souths did bid 4S and most combined their poor judgement with poor declarer play and were doubled and down four, -800.
Given that South has bid to 4S all on their own, I would consider leading the singleton queen of trumps, but the queen of hearts is a standout and now it is up to declarer. That will be reviewed in “The Guessing Game 8” because it does involve some guessing, by declarer. Now that we have seen all the hands, we can do a “Deep Finesse” and in 4S doubled lose only 500, the play should be reasonably easy, but have a think before you go to the next “Guessing Game”, just what declarer should or should not do.
82
K632
J6432
T3