The Aces on Bridge: Sunday, December 22nd, 2013
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My partner was dealt ♠ K-5-4, ♥ A-4, ♦ J-10-2, ♣ A-Q-6-5-4. When I opened one club, he bid three no-trump, claiming that this was the best way to describe a balanced 13-15 hand without a four-card major. Since my heart suit was a singleton jack, this was not a success, and five clubs would have been very easy to make. Can you recommend methods that would have helped us? Gidget the Gadget, Vancouver, Wash. Two possible answers. In the old days you would play three clubs as forcing. Nowadays inverted minors (using two clubs to show a limit raise or better) are common. If you do not play either of these, then maybe you have to temporize with a one-diamond response — but frankly, the three no-trump response is a perfectly reasonable alternative.
What is the best way to handle a balanced hand with 4-4 in the majors with about 6-7 HCP opposite a strong no-trump opening? Until now I have passed, figuring we are probably in a reasonable spot. My assumption was that if I used Stayman and we didn't find a 4-4 fit, we would probably be worse off than if I had passed. Misfit, Mitchell, S.D. I suggest you look at the strength of your majors and doubleton and bid accordingly. With values in the majors, use Stayman, but equally clearly, with values in your short suits, you would pass. With the first hand a 4-3 fit might play better than one no-trump, while with the second hand, no-trump might play better than a 4-4 fit.
Say you hold ♠ 5, ♥ A-10-2, ♦ A-Q-8-5-4 ♣ K-J-9-3. You open one diamond and hear a one-heart response. Should you raise hearts (and to what level) as opposed to bidding two clubs? Fielder's Choice, Harrisburg, Pa. While your hand is suitable for raising hearts — the call shows four trumps or three and a ruffing value — your hand is a tad too strong for the simple raise. If you bid two clubs and then convert partner's club or diamond preference to hearts, you show extras and this precise shape. You are a dead minimum for the auction, but you are worth it because of your controls. |
Playing five hearts, I lost the first trick. I was due to make 12 tricks, until an opponent revoked by ruffing, after which I took all of the remaining tricks for a total of 11. When the revoke was caught, the director declared that since we took all of the remaining tricks after the revoke was established, we should be awarded ONE overtrick for “equity” reasons. Why didn’t the revoke cost our opponents anything? They finished up with the same score they would have received without the revoke. No Fair! San Antonio, Texas The revoke law is NOT designed to restore equity as its primary function; it’s a penalty. If you revoke but do not personally win the trick, it is a one-trick penalty – but only if your side wins one trick or more. If you revoke and win the trick with the card you played on the trick, it is a two-trick penalty — but only if your side wins two more tricks. Most revokes cost blood, so your opponents just got lucky!
I assume you would open one diamond when holding ♠ K-Q-10-2, ♥ A-4, ♦ J-7-4-3-2, ♣ Q-10, and if you do, your partner will respond two clubs, natural and game-forcing. Should you rebid your feeble suit, bid two spades with a minimum, or make a somewhat off-center call of two no-trump to limit your hand? At Sea, Richmond, Va. The answer depends a little on your partnership style. In classic two-over-one, a two-diamond rebid simply shows five, but the meaning of a two-spade call (extra high cards, or extra shape, or, according to some, denying either!) is up to you. I like the two-spade call to show this pattern, so I have no problem with making that call. I'd prefer the call to show a slightly better hand, but once in a while you may have to compromise somewhere. |
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Bridge-related
Mr. Wolff,
A question unrelated to today’s column. It’s about what to do when the opponents interfere over our 1NT opening (such interference occurs very frequently; seems any reasonably-competitive intermediate Club pair will intervene given enough shape).
One of the most experienced and strongest pairs in our area plays simply “all systems off, and all doubles are for penalty”.
Many play “systems on”, utilizing a double of 2 Clubs, and a 3D cuebid over 2D for Stayman, and double of 2D, 2H and 2S as “stolen-bid” transfers.
A few play a basic Lebensohl.
Could you provide some comment / advice on how to approach this, including how to arrange for penalty double when appropriate? (I realize that this subject
could require a longish detailed answer, which I would certainly not expect here; just a bit of general overall advice would be most appreciated).
Thanks
Hi Clarksburg,
The answer to your important (for success) question should emphasize in the following order:
1. Both partners need to remember what they have decided.
2. Both partners need to remember what they have decided. (duplication with #1 is intended).
3. Lebensohl could be played, but its presence is overrated and IMO should only be played after a natural 2 of a major overcall by the opponents. (Dbl is TO, 2NT demands 3 clubs and a P after partner does something, and 3 of a suit is forcing). Giving up 2NT as only competitive (7-9 HCP) is usually too much of a concession since, at least to me, comes up much too often to trash.
4. Doubles by the responder are general TO, (cards) but if the NTer is very good in the doubled suit he should convert to penalty.
5. Doubles by the NTer BEHIND the intervenor is always e.g INT P P 2S dbl. for penalties but P P dbl (by the responder) is for TO.
6. Suit bids by the responder are to play and at times may only be 4 cards (just competitive). If the bidding has gone, for example. 1NT P P 2H
P P 2S (almost always 4 cards since he did not bid the 1st time)
7. Two way Stayman (2C NF to game) but (2D GF) is MUCH better than just plain transfers, although most people have wrongly fallen in love with transfers and instead play them.
8. Jumps in majors are GF (and natural) over intervention even if they are not without interference.
9. Feint heart does not win matchpoints nor IMP matches so if the opponents compete, so must the NTer’s side. 1NT 2H (natural) 2S should be bid with QJxx, xx, Jx, K10xxx. Dbl would be TO but the responder cannot risk a 3 diamond bid by his partner. Interchange the clubs and the diamonds and dbl would then be acceptable since 3 diamonds could be bid over a runout by partner to 3 clubs.
10. An immediate redouble over an opponents conventional double shows a good hand and an interest in doubling the opponents so that the NTer should also be alert to double a TO by the doubler’s partner sometimes with only 3 in the suit, but with defensive values.
11. When a double is made for penalties over 1NT then 2 clubs becomes a runout and after that suit gets doubled then a redouble by the responder is SOS, asking partner to bid one of the next highest two suits, eg. 1NT
Dbl (very good hand) 2C Dbl for penalties P, P redouble shows both 4 diamonds and 4 hearts, but then instead if the responder to the 1NTX runs to 2 diamonds, gets doubled and then redoubles he shows 4 hearts and 4 spades.
The above is not exacting, but it does work, is consistent and after discussion, can easily (Ha Ha) be remembered, because everything is logical and fits together.
Good luck!
Mr. Wolff,
Thanks very much. Partner and I are now in the process of adopting what you recommend. However, we need some clarification on your point #11.
If Responder has any 6+ suit, and judges it clearly the safest suit in which to play, would he then bid 2NT to get a relay to 3 Clubs?
Are the 2C and 2D runouts conventional, always showing 4-4 in the next two higher ranking suits? Or, could it possibly be showing a real (5-card?) suit?
If there is no double, would Opener pass whenever playing in the 2C or 2D looks best (e.g. Opener happens to have a six-card or nice 5-card in that minor).
Again if there is no Double, and if Opener doesn’t like to pass to play in Responder’s bid minor, would Opener then show “other possible places to play”, up-the-line?
As a much-to-learn Intermediate club player, I am on shaky ground here in offering my interpretations; so, assuming you will respond, if it’s simpler and quicker for you, please just ignore my questions and cut right to your clarification.
Thanks!!
Hi Clsrksburg,
Since we have both come a long way, let’s continue so that we can get the instructions straight, and although their success ration does not approach 100%, IMO they are as good as any I have heard of and I’ve been around a while.
When the 1NTer runs from the penalty double, it must be respected and rarely if ever should the responder intervene, since he has already implied a balanced hand by his passing the first time.
However, when the 1NTer is doubled for penalty (the double is explained that way), then the responder may (should run to 2 clubs, even with fewer than 4 sometimes, but when doubled by either opponent for penalty, then run to 2 diamonds and then if doubled, with always the partner of the NTer not having length in either of those two suits, he redoubles to show 4 card suits in both the two higher suits and leaves it up to the 1NT opener to choose which suit.
Example: 1NT Dbl (for penalty) 2C (dbl or passed around to the original doubler who doubles for penalty again the 2D by the partner of the 1NTer followed by an opponent double the redouble by the partner of the 1NTer would show both 4 hearts and 4 spades and ask for partner to TO to his longer major. Again if the partner of the NTer runs to 2 clubs and then redoubles he is suggesting 4 cards in D & H and the 1NTer should act then with 4 cards in either red suit, but if he doesn’t act and the partner of the NTer then runs the NTer should stand a double by the opponents but leave it up to his partner to continue to be alert as to what to do with longer higher ranking suits.
All of the above may sound more complicated than it is, but in reality it is simple and only looking for an 8 card fit (if there is one) and at least to me is the most effective way to combat a strong or weak NT which has been doubled for penalty.
Good luck and remember to run immediately after the penalty double if holding a 5 or certainly a 6 card suit and that may apply to both the NTer or his partner.