Tales of Akarana 2

This week a very interesting question is asked on the Latest News post about what is the best result that can be achieved after LHO opens 2NT showing a balanced 20 - 21 HCP when we have the following hand:

Spade-small T

Heart-small T762

Diamond-small 52

Club-small KJT532

The post later claims that the best hand is 6Club-small. Which it was for the hands given later. However the answer is actually 7Spade-small played by partner.

LHO has a balanced hand so they have a least 2 cards in every suit. Partner can also have no more than 16 HCP. It is then clear that our partner could have the following hand:

Spade-small AKQJxxxxx

Heart-small -

Diamond-small -

Club-small AQxx

As LHO does not have a void 7Spade-small can’t be beaten if it is played by partner.

If LHO doubles with their Heart-smallAKQJ and Diamond-smallAKQJ then can get achieve an even better result.

Any better result possible?

 

Started by SEAN LYNCH on 19 Oct 2018 at 11:38PM

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  1. SEAN LYNCH20 Oct 2018 at 09:06AM

    The other interesting related question from the post is how can you bid 6Club-small after the 2NT opening for board 15?

    We play a conventional defence where the bidding would go:

    2NT.        X.         -       3Diamond-small

    -              3Spade-small       -       3NT

    -               4Club-small      -       4Diamond-small

    -               4Heart-small      -       4NT

    -                5Club-small      -       5Diamond-small

    -                6Club-small

    Where X is <= 6 losers, 3Diamond-small shows <= 8 loser 4M or 5Heart-small, 3Spade-small shows 4+Spade-small,  3NT shows 4Heart-small5+m <=10 total losers, 4Club-small is a relay asking for number of losers, 4Diamond-small shows 8 losers, 4Heart-small is a relay asking for key card in hearts, 4NT shows 0 , 5Club-small is a relay asking for K, 5Diamond-small shows 1 and by inference 9 total losers. 6Club-small is pass or correct.

    Asking for key cards instead of bidding 5Club-small pass or correct is a leap of faith but we do have good support for either minor and can be confident either partner has an 6 card minor with an A or K or 2Q ( if had only 5 minor then would have more than 6 HCP when they can have at most 5) or a 7 card Club-small suit relying on also containing QClub-small. After  showing 1 K it is fortunate it is KClub-small but there would also be play if not but partner would need QClub-small. Could instead also bid 6Club-small pass or correct after partner shows 8 losers relying on rule of 18 instead of checking for key cards as we  are not stopping below slam once this decision is made. 

    This defence would give us a good result for this board but it is not without risk as we can’t stop in 4Club-small or 4Diamond-small.

    Does anyone else have a prepared defence they can share?

     

  2. STANLEY ABRAHAMS11 Nov 2018 at 09:50PM

    Surely the best result possible, depending on the vulnerability, is to double with these hands, and take all 13 tricks in defence, making 2000, or 2300.

  3. SEAN LYNCH13 Nov 2018 at 11:09PM

    Theoretically this would be true if RHO left the double in..........but this seems optimistic as they must then have either:

    Spade-small x.                                             Spade-small -

    Heart-small xxxxx.                                     Heart-small xxxxx

    Diamond-small xxxxxxx.                                 Diamond-small xxxxxxx

    Club-small -                                              Club-small x

     

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