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Tales of Akarana

“ Game Forcing” Bids?

Two pieces of interesting hand evaluation thrust  partnerships up into the slam zone..but would they drive on to too high a level? Let’s see:

The first board offered both partners a chance to value their hands. Let’s take the second piece of evaluation first:

Spade-small K543

Heart-small K965

Diamond-small KQ83

Club-small Q

This is your hand as North and this is the bidding so far:

West              North            East                South

                                                                        1Club-small

Pass                1Heart-small                   Pass                4Diamond-small

Pass                ?

4Diamond-small is a splinter…and before my mail-box is inundated with questions as to why you, North, did not bid 1Diamond-small first time round (as you should with a game-going responding hand), let’s just say North had their reasons!

That’s part A to the question. Part B is would your answer be any different if 4Diamond-small guaranteed a void?

We know that a holding of KQxx is not great opposite a singleton or a void but does that mean you should sign-off here? Signing off would mean that were partner to hold Spade-small A7 Heart-small AQT8 Diamond-smallClub-small AKT753, they would have to sign off as well. You responded on a six count, including wasted diamond honours. Can partner even risk the five level?

Well, even leaving aside those diamond honours, you have got more than a six count and have a card of huge potential value, that Club-smallQ. With you at the wheel, every suit is protected at trick 1. Opposite what might be a singleton diamond, it may be a marginal decision. Opposite a void, I feel one just has to move. The only drawback this time was that a Key Card response took you into the slam zone:

Board 2
East Deals
N-S Vul
K 5 4 3
K 9 6 5
K Q 8 3
Q
Q 8 6 2
A J 7
A 9 4
9 4 2
 
N
W   E
S
 
J 10 9
3
J 10 7 6 5 2
K 8 6
 
A 7
Q 10 8 4 2
A J 10 7 5 3
West North East South
    Pass 1 
Pass 1  Pass 4 
Pass 4 NT Pass 5 
Pass 6  All pass  

 

“Thanks for the extra heart, partner” but we were still left with the problem of finding the Heart-smallJ. Not one of the 8 declarers found this card successfully. For three of them, it proved very expensive as they were in 6Heart-small.

What then of that 4Diamond-small bid? I believe there are times where you can force to game without having to make a game force bid. Such an occasion is where you have minimal points. With both opponents quiet, surely North will have enough high card strength to raise to game over 3Heart-small? You may argue that 3Heart-small from South on their second turn would have sent North slamwards too. Maybe but  North could have expected more than 11 hcps for the game force. Yes, even a 12 count would have helped…that Heart-smallJ! You do not need to guess from which compass seat I was viewing this board..and perhaps had hearts broken 2-2, the discussion might have revolved around reaching rather than avoiding this slam.

On then to the next decision.

Spade-small AQ764

Heart-small T5

Diamond-small A4

Club-small A853

and you are South:

West              North            East                South

                                                                        1Spade-small

Pass                2Diamond-small                   Pass                ?

 

You have a nice 14 count and opposite partner’s presumed 10+ (you are playing Acol), you know that you are heading to game. Do you let partner in on the secret or do you make a “hold your breath that partner bids again” 2Spade-small call? There is a third kind of inbetween bid, whichever no-trump bid shows 15-17 balanced. Yes, only 14, but you have just said you want to be in game. So, call it 15.

What’s your choice? The downside of a no-trump bid is your lack of a heart hold. Indeed, if you decide on upgrading by one point, then should you bid 3Club-small… and then get rather nervous as the bidding proceeds:

West              North            East                South

                                                                        1Spade-small

Pass                2Diamond-small                   Pass               3Club-small

Pass                3Heart-small 1                Pass               3Spade-small

Pass                4NT                Pass                5Diamond-small 2

Pass                5Heart-small 3                Pass                5NT4

Pass                7NT                All Pass

1 4th suit forcing

2 0 or 3 key cards in support of spades. It’s no time to lie!

3 Asks for Spade-smallQ and outside kings

4 “Yes” to the Spade-smallQ but “no” to outside kings.

 

and partner looks at your dummy after a low heart lead….and does not claim!

Indeed, after the Heart-small8 lead, the play was extremely drawn out but, this time, every card was where the declarer wanted it to be!

Board 7
South Deals
Both Vul
K 10
A K J 6
K 10 8 3
K Q 10
9 3 2
Q 9 7 4 3
Q J
9 7 6
 
N
W   E
S
 
J 8 5
8 2
9 7 6 5 2
J 4 2
 
A Q 7 6 4
10 5
A 4
A 8 5 3

 

After West inserted the Heart-smallQ at trick 1, the declarer ended with 16 tricks! It was definitely correct to bid 3Club-small this time but the lie of the cards is, as we know to our frequent cost, not always that friendly.

Richard Solomon

 

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