Caccia Birch Daffodil Day Tournament - Session One
On Sunday I played in the Caccia Birch Charity at which $2500 was raised for the Cancer Society.
It was a good day with a well run tournament. I say this despite the fact that my partner and I finished in a disappointing 21st place. Of course I cannot claim that we played our best but we did have some bad luck.
Tonight I am due to run a session on slam bidding for some of this year's beginners in the club. These two slam hands caught my attention of how not to bid a slam ...
| Board 5 North Deals N-S Vul | ♠ A 10 5 ♥ K Q 10 6 5 ♦ A ♣ A 7 6 2 | ||||||||||
♠ K Q 8 7 6 2 ♥ 9 4 3 ♦ J 8 5 ♣ 3 |
| ♠ 9 ♥ J 7 2 ♦ Q 10 9 6 4 3 2 ♣ 5 4 | |||||||||
| ♠ J 4 3 ♥ A 8 ♦ K 7 ♣ K Q J 10 9 8 |
| West | North | East | South |
| Burrows | |||
| 1 ♥ | Pass | 2 ♣ | |
| 2 ♠ | 4 NT1 | Pass | 5 ♦2 |
| Pass | 6 ♥! | Pass | Pass |
| Pass |
|
| 6 ♥ by North |
| Made 7 — +1460 |
North has a great hand when partner shows values and clubs with her two-over-one response. So launching into Blackwood is reasonable. Maybe a diamond splinter is better. However the final choice of 6♥ is seems to be based more on hope than sound bidding. North only knows south has one heart because she admitted to an ace. So 6♥ was a possible five-one fit. On the actual hand if there was a 4=2 or 5=1 heart break the slam was in danger provided the player with the long trump was west or if east he had a second spade.
On second thoughts perhaps if you think that west has six spades then east is most likely to have the long trump. If this is the case 6♥ will be playable even in a 5=1 fit and could therefore be worth a lot of matchpoints.
If you consider the play in 6♥ when partner turns up with ♥A8 then when west follows to the second heart some consideration should be given to finessing the ♥10 if you have had a spade lead. Your only danger is that the defense have a trump trick and can cash a spade. How likely in a two-over-one auction is it that west would come in with a weak hand and only a five-card suit? If you think it is not at all like then the ♥10 is standout.
In the actual play declarer dropped the jack and made 13 tricks.
We were lucky!!!! The didn't bid a grand slam. 7♣ is a little tricky to bid - north doesn't immediately know about the long clubs with south and south doesn't know for sure how his spade losers are going to disappear.
Caccia Birch Daffodil Day Tournament - Session Two
| Board 4 West Deals Both Vul | ♠ 7 6 5 4 3 ♥ J 4 3 ♦ J 9 ♣ A 10 7 | ||||||||||
♠ K J 10 2 ♥ A K Q 2 ♦ 3 2 ♣ K 9 8 |
| ♠ A Q 9 ♥ 9 ♦ A Q 8 ♣ Q J 5 4 3 2 | |||||||||
| ♠ 8 ♥ 10 8 7 6 5 ♦ K 10 7 6 5 4 ♣ 6 |
| West | North | East | South |
| Burrows | |||
| 1 ♣1 | Pass | 2 ♣2 | Pass |
| 2 ♥ | Pass | 4 ♣3 | Pass |
| 4 ♥4 | Pass | 5 ♣5 | Pass |
| 5 NT6 | Pass | 6 ♣! | Pass |
| Pass | Pass |
|
| 6 ♣ by West |
| Made 6 — +1370 |
This hand follows the same theme as the last where the bidder did not take the fundamental step of confirming a fit before bidding a slam. This time the final bid of 6♣ has little to recommend it. It is possible on this auction that partner has no clubs or even if she does have a club or two there is no guarantee of the ♣A or ♣K.
Having said that east is not entirely to blame. Playing Precision it is normal for west's 2♥ rebid to show a five-card suit. I don't know her reasons for bidding 2♥ - perhaps she was fearful of her two small diamonds - but a 2NT rebid by west would have been much more helpful to east. She then could be sure of a club fit.
Caccia Birch Daffodil Day - Session Two
| Board 7 South Deals Both Vul | ♠ A 10 8 5 ♥ A 10 4 3 2 ♦ — ♣ K 9 6 2 | ||||||||||
| |||||||||||
| ♠ K Q J 9 7 6 4 2 ♥ K J ♦ 7 4 ♣ A |
| West | North | East | South |
| 1 ♠ | |||
| Pass | 4 ♦1 | Pass | 4 NT2 |
| Pass | 5 ♥3 | Pass | 7 ♠ |
| Pass | Pass | Pass |
|
| 7 ♠ by South |
Another hand from the second session would have showed off a favourite convention of mine - void splinters at the four-level (for me normal splinters are one level lower). This would have allowed us to find the short route to the grand. Identifying the void allows us to use Blackwood (RKCB) from either side unambiguously. If the 4♦ bidder subsequently uses Blackwood then partner discounts the ace in the void suit.
Perhaps it is not that likely that the auction would be uncontested - although at the event we had an uncontested auction (it was different than the auction shown).
Caccia Birch Daffodil Day - Session Two
| Board 20 West Deals Both Vul | ♠ A Q 8 3 ♥ 9 4 3 ♦ 6 2 ♣ J 6 5 3 | ||||||||||
♠ 9 6 ♥ K Q J 8 ♦ Q J 3 ♣ Q 10 8 2 |
| ♠ K 7 ♥ A 7 2 ♦ 9 8 7 5 4 ♣ K 9 7 | |||||||||
| ♠ J 10 5 4 2 ♥ 10 6 5 ♦ A K 10 ♣ A 4 |
| West | North | East | South |
| Burrows | |||
| 1 NT1 | Pass | Pass | Pass |
|
| 1 NT by West |
| Made 1 — -90 |
I am not sure if west miscounted her points or frequently opens these eleven counts but that is one pretty weak 1NT. I am fond of light 1NT openings but I don't think I would have found this bid.
Some might have bid 2♠ in the passout seat with my hand but that's not my style with a balanced hand particularly with such a bad suit.
If partner had lead a spade we would have had a relatively quick seven tricks. She chose to lead a club and seven tricks were there for declarer.
Again we were lucky!!! After I had won the ace declarer and switched to a spade declarer could have crossed to her hand with a heart and hooked my partner for the ♣J and made eight tricks.
