Hands

Is It Natural?

Jul 022002

Gerard complains that I choose hands that show him in the worst possible light and that if he didn’t have bad luck he’d have none at all. Here at the Chronicles we aim to please. So today’s hand will feature Gee’s partner selling him down the river. Because I’m that kind of guy.

Both Vul
IMPs
Dealer: West
Lead: A

	peterw 4 3 2 Q 8 3 8 5 J 7 6 4 3
plus790 — J 10 9 6 5 Q 9 7 4 A 10 9 5		mohawk A 9 8 6 5 A K 7 2 10 6 Q 2
	Maestro K Q J 10 7 4 A K J 3 2 K 8

West
Pass
Pass
4

Dbl
Dbl

North
Pass
2

Pass
5

Pass

East
1

Pass
Pass
Pass

South
Dbl
3

!
Pass
Pass

After East opens a spade, Gee elects to double, I suppose on the theory that he’s strong enough to rebid his diamonds, although a jump by his partner in hearts might leave him in some embarrassment. He is momentarily spared: West passes and North bids clubs in perfect innocence. East makes an ambitious rebid of two hearts, considering his partner might be flat broke, and West shows his colors with a raise to four over Gee’s three diamonds.

Four hearts probably makes although it’s no cinch, but Gee is bent on a sac and bids a remarkable four spades, putting poor North in a quandary. Is the bid natural? A little reflection will tell you that it must be, since 4NT is available for minor suit takeout. Four spades, with the correct forcing defense in hearts, is down only 4, for a mere 1100. But North pulls to five clubs, down 5, and because of his failure to read the four spade bid correctly a 9 or 10 IMP loss becomes 14. Gee is right. His partners just keep doing him in.

The Zero Percent Solution, Part 2

Jul 012002

Both Vul
IMPs
Dealer: East
Lead: K

	nikkos J 10 8 7 6 J 9 5 10 9 8 4 3
brando Q 9 2 Q 4 4 3 2 A K Q 7 6		Maestro A 5 4 3 10 7 A Q J 8 6 J 5
	lubac K A K 8 6 3 2 K 7 5 10 9 2

West

Rdbl
3
3
Pass

North

Pass
Pass
Pass
Pass

East
1NT
2

South
Dbl
Pass
Pass
Pass

1NT was weak, lubac’s double was DONT, showing a one-suited hand, and two spades was…well, never mind what two spades was. Four diamonds, however, is unbeatable on the layout, presuming the planets are in normal alignment. South leads out two top hearts and, stuck with the stiff spade K, switches to clubs, as good as anything. Gee wins the club in hand, plays the trump A, and plays a small trump! This wins whenever the K is doubleton. Unfortunately, the diamond Q or J also wins whenever the K is doubleton, plus all those other layouts when the K is third. “Darn,” said Gerard when the diamond 10 held the trick, “but with only one entry it was the only logical play I think.” “Was that a misclick?” his partner asked. “A misclick is one thing but intentionally is…” He decided not to finish the sentence.

Moral: The whole is greater than the part.

The Zero Percent Solution

Jun 302002

N/S Vul
IMPs
Dealer: West
Lead: Q

	ahmed1 Q J K 9 8 K 9 8 6 5 2 K 2
Maestro A 10 5 4 Q 5 A Q J 10 7 4 5		petit_g K 8 7 J 7 6 4 3 2 — A Q 9 7
	brando 9 6 3 2 A 10 3 J 10 8 6 4 3

West
1

3NT

North
Pass
Pass
Pass
Pass

East
1

Pass

South
Pass
Pass
Pass
Pass

Grand un petit Gee reach 3NT on a, shall we say, optimistic auction. North opens the spade Q; Gee wins in hand and plays the HQ. North errs by rising with the HK and continuing with the SJ. Gee wins the spade on board and plays a third round, which South covers with the 9. Now he leads the diamond 10, which holds, and the diamond J, which North wins as Gee discovers the bad news, South discarding a small club. North returns the club deuce, the club queen holds, and the moment of truth has arrived. Gerard’s only chance is to find either defender with the stiff heart A — which, as it happens, is the layout. Then the J will draw the last heart and he’ll be home with nine tricks. (If North has the stiff A and leads a D, West can simply play his last spade and South will be forced to lead a club to the board.) Gee cogitates on this carefully, then plays the heart J. Down 1. The zero percent play.

Moral: Some is sometimes better than none. None is never better than some.

Trump Support

Jun 292002

N/S Vul
IMPs
Dealer: East
Lead: A

	brando 9 2 A K Q 10 A K Q 5 Q 9 8
nikkos K Q J 10 8 6 3 J 5 3 — A 7 4		Maestro — 9 7 6 2 9 8 6 4 3 2 K 10 2
	ice-t A 7 5 4 8 4 J 10 7 J 6 5 3

West

Pass
3
Pass
Pass

North

2NT
Pass
3NT
Pass

East
Pass
Pass
Pass
4

!!
Pass

South
Pass
3

Dbl
Dbl

One might get the impression from reading these pages that Gerard always goes minus. Nothing could be further from the truth (well, maybe some things). Today we observe how an EXPERT evaluates his trump support.

Gerard, wisely divining that his partner had a full opener despite passing third hand, finds the brilliant bid of raising to game on a void! On the bidding it is obvious (to the EXPERT, if not the Small Time Club Player) that North holds a tenace in hearts, and that his partner’s honors will either drop or be finessable. Sure enough 3NT is cold, and Gee saves 5 IMPs or so with minimal risk. (Today’s hand courtesy of faithful reader Doug Ross.)

Taking the Sacrifice

Jun 282002

None Vul
IMPs
Dealer: West
Lead: 8

	Maestro J 10 A K Q J 6 3 2 K Q 10 3
trixi A Q 6 5 2 8 5 K 9 A J 5 4		mjg K 8 7 3 9 7 3 2 Q J 8 5 8
	che23 9 4 10 4 A 10 7 6 4 9 7 6 2

West
1

Pass
Pass

North
2

!
Pass

East
4

Dbl

South
Pass
Pass

This was one of the hands on which Gerard lost 80 IMPs without making a mistake. Perhaps if we analyze the hand in some detail we can discover where his partner went astray.

Gerard, looking at three quite likely defensive tricks against four spades, and six tricks declaring five hearts, opts for the sacrifice. After all, he wasn’t vulnerable, and four spades was making. East opens his singleton club, West wins the ace. At this point the defense can take the first six tricks, and a diamond later on, for down five: return a high club, two spade entries, three club ruffs. Alas, West cashes the spade ace, then returns a club. East ruffs, cashes the spade king, and exits with a trump. Looks like down three. But our hero draws two rounds of trump, crosses to the diamond ace, and takes the club finesse, allowing East to make his last trump for down 4 and -11 IMPs. Where did Gee’s partner err? All suggestions are welcome.

Counting the Side Suits

Jun 272002

IMPs
E/W Vul
Dealer: East
Lead: A

	tiger A Q 9 3 Q 10 4 J 3 Q 8 7 2
anders1 5 8 7 2 10 9 8 7 5 K J 5 4		Maestro K 8 7 9 5 3 A K Q 6 2 A 6
	botzum J 10 6 4 2 A K J 6 4 10 9 3

West

Pass
3
Pass

North

2
Pass
Pass

East
1

Pass
Pass
Pass

South
Dbl
Pass
3

The opener is Precision, showing 16+, and there are other points in the auction of interest, like the free bid of three diamonds and Gee’s refusal to raise with five to the AKQ. But today we will discuss the play.

An ordinary expert would defeat this part score. But there are ordinary experts, and there is Gerard. He gets the defense off to a good start by leading the club ace; unless they lead clubs early declarer can hold his club losers down to 2 and make. West encourages with the 5, wins the 2nd round and leads a low club for Gee to ruff. Now it’s time to analyze the hand. Three tricks in, two certain defensive tricks coming, playing IMPs…Gee underleads the AKQ of diamonds! Tiger wins the jack in hand, managing not to laugh, plays ace and another trump immediately, and claims. “Too bad my cute play didn’t work,” says Gee to his partner, who is too diplomatic to reply.

Update: Gerard complains that “when I passed a 3 bid after a negative response to a Precision 1 opener, you even find a way to make it look as if it is wrong.” And he has a point. The 3 bid is bad; the pass is arguable.

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