Bridge questions
For member bridge questions - and their answers...
Have a bridge question? Simply email it - with all the relevant information - to
Last week on StepBridge, Annegrete and I had this interesting hand which highlighted several bidding issues when possibly searching for slam.
Annegrete opened 2D (multi), I followed with 2NT (strong enquiry), then 3D from Annegrete (8-10 pts with 6 Spades). This was followed by a lead directing double from the opponents which worried me as I had 3 quick diamond losers in my hand.
At this stage I bailed into 4S knowing there was a good chance we should be higher but that we had no agreement in place about which further bids would show agreement of suit and be showing controls rather than be natural.
Alan Davies has provided this interesting board from the Gold Coast Congress - the Ivy Dahler swiss pairs - that he and Vivien played and which was the top board.
They were sitting NS. The bidding went:
E 1D, S 2C, W pass, N pass (At the post mortem N acknowledged that they should have bid spades),
E X, S pass (sensing a trap), W pass (a trap!), N XX (we're in trouble, take it out)
E pass, S pass (nowhere to go!), W pass. Lead 9D.
Board 9 from the Slam Dunk evening game on Tue 24 Aug 2021 - what do you bid? Whether you open this hand 1C or 2, 3, 4 or 5C might make all the difference.
Those lucky enough to be playing West should have enjoyed playing board 19. It must be the strongest hand i have ever been dealt. Who says we never get good cards!?
The congress included a daily bulletin edited by Will Jenner-O'Shea that are worth reading. They include an interesting series of articles on Redoubles and discussion of hands played by winning pairs and teams that day.
How often do you pick up a one loser hand?
On Monday there was such a hand for East and nearly every pair ended up in 6D and no-one made it. Houdini might have done so! East has to play two rounds of clubs and then ruff with the 7 (giving you the 12th trick!). But then the question is how to return to your hand if the AH has already been played.
Describing Balanced Opening Hands
12-14 Open 1 of a suit & rebid 1NT (1♣ p 1♥ p 1NT)
15-17 Open 1NT
18-19 Open 1 of a suit & jump to 2NT (1♣ p 1♥ p 2NT)
20-21 Open 2NT
22-24 Open 2♣ (Game Force) and rebid 2NT
25 + Open 2♣ (Game Force) and rebid 3NT
AG asked: I would love to hear from some of the experts at the club the answer to this question (both as Declarer and the Defenders): ‘What’s the first thing you do when the dummy is laid down?’ I know the short answer is ‘Make a Plan’ however, I’d like to know more than that. What are they looking for, what makes their hearts glow? What makes their hearts sink? What are their strategies for play?
