Give me a lead here ...

From 20/2/19. Continuing on from last time, let’s take another look at the deal in question and see why good defence is so important.

Board 3 from 20/02/2019
Dealer S EW Vul

QJ642
7542
93
A4
A5
QT6
AJT74
K75
T973
9
Q62
Q9632
K8
AKJ83
K85
JT8

Quiz Time!

This week, something different. Not just one deal reviewed but half a dozen! All with a point to make. I won’t repeat the full hand records, just the bidding situations that arose each time.

Board 1. Sitting West, after three passes, what would you do with:

T74
AK6543
K4
73

Board 4. As dealer and both vul, would you open this:

QJ6
KQ963
65
KT8

Uneasy Lies The Head ...

When partner opens 1NT and you have 11 HCP, you would normally invite game. When I held the South hand and partner opened 1NT, I really did not know what to do. After a lot of uneasy consideration, I passed!

Board 13 from Thursday 14/1/19
Dealer N All Vul

JT4
AJ63
KQ5
Q73
Q976
T
JT97
AT98
K853
KQ8742
4
J4
A2
95
A8632
K652

A Game Force on 4 Points

I don’t expect that there would be any bidding on this hand until it comes round to West, but that is not a given, especially if you’re playing in a more adventurous session.

Board 17 from Wednesday 13/02/2019
Dealer N Nil Vul

985
53
J52
AKJ65
AKQ4
AK
AKT
T874
JT762
JT986
6
Q3
3
Q742
Q98743
92

Ol' Blue Eyes is Back

I am reviewing a deal from last Monday at XClubs. This will also be featured in “Evil at the Bridge Table” and is important enough in the scheme of things to warrant a special article. It relates to the ‘losing trick count’ which I admit I have never read anything about but, having heard about it, try and work things out, as Frank Sinatra sang, “my way”.

Board 16 from Monday 11/1/2019
Dealer W EW Vul

875
T83
J2
QJT73
T43
2
AQT75
K982
AKQJ6
KQ9764
8
4
92
AJ5
K9643
A65

Are YOU a Caveman?

At the risk of being called a bore and being obsessed with slams, let me once more state that bidding slams should be EASIER than games or part scores because there is less complexity in most slams. Making slams is also often easier because you can lose only one trick if in a small slam, or no tricks at all in a grand slam and more often than not there are twelve or thirteen top tricks. Counting up to twelve or thirteen should not be a difficult matter for the more advanced players. All that considered, I am astounded that only one pair across the whole of X-Clubs bid to 7S, and only one to 7NT. The pair who bid 7NT were also top of the field in X-Clubs with 67.46%. Well done Sheryl Luo and Tim Pan!

Board 4 from Thursday 7/02/2019
Dealer W All Vul

93
92
7632
KQJ83
AKQJ654
43
Q9
74
8
AKQJ
AJT5
A962
T72
T8765
K84
T5

A McKains Deal (only 1 in 6 is good enough)

This seemingly easy bidding problem seems to have been not so easy for five out of every six NS pairs in the field of 192.

Board 5 from Wednesday 6/02/2019.
Dealer N NS Vul

KQ7
76
Q96
J7652
J9532
KQT
T5
AKT
864
J952
J8742
3
AT
A843
AK3
Q984

Did you see THIS??

A powerful new tool has been added to the handrecords available on this site.

.... read on ....

A Bit of an Analysis

Following on from a casual question this extract was taken from the Results pages. (Hope we haven't missed anyone - please let us know)

Playing TimesPlaying Times

The Sniff of a Slam

The moment South opens the bidding with 1C, North should be thinking slam in clubs, surely? And if not slam, then game. But when North starts slowly by bidding 1D, East has the chance of coming in with a spade bid, which could be, and should be, more than just 1S. That might make the bidding for NS a bit more difficult but should not stop North asking for aces or key cards and settling for a small slam in clubs.
Board 23 from Thursday 31/01/19
Dealer S All Vul

A
3
AJ9876
QT842
Q985
T986
542
93
KJT632
KQJ5
KT
6
74
A742
Q3
AKJ75

Replay this board by clicking here.

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