Friday, 22 December 2017

Fit Jumps Opener has 5422 Hand 9

Board 9
North Deals
♠K J 6 3
♥A 8
♦A Q J 10 8
♣6 4
♠8
♥K 10 9 7 6 5 4 3 2
♦7
♣9 3
N
WE
S
♠10 7 5
♥Q J
♦6 4
♣K J 8 7 5 2
♠A Q 9 4 2
♥—
♦K 9 5 3 2
♣A Q 10
WestNorthEastSouth
 1 ♦Pass2 ♠
4 ♥14 ♠Pass5 ♣
Pass5 ♦Pass5 ♥
Pass6 ♥Dbl26 ♠
All pass   
  1. Preempt -- twice rebiddable ♥; 3-25 total points
  2. 2+ ♥; 7-16 total points
6 ♠ by South
Lead: ♥ 10
Made 7 — NS +1010

Things are slightly different when fourth hand competes. North is under pressure to show support so 4 ♠ is quite a wide range. Here south has extra distribution and strength. In a competitive auction after we have established a fit (double fit here) our bids have a different priority. In particular we need to be able to show whether or not we have a control in the opponent's suit.

Therefore a raise to 5 ♠ would be invitational but without a control in the opponent's hearts and a cue-bid of 5 ♥ would be invitational with a control in hearts. RKCB is still on. Other cues are still more serious slam interest than 5 ♠ or 5 ♥ and looking for a missing control.

The auction here is routine up to 5 ♥. At that point north knows that south has a very serious slam hand with either a missing control or interest in a grand. North's 5 ♥ therefore shows extra values and a heart cue.

As an alternative north could take control with 5 NT which we would play as RKCB - one step above our trump suit at the five-level is kickback. South would show two and north would have to guess whether south has the ♠ Q, ♦ K and ♣ K or equivalent extra. At that point south will be known to have ♠ A, ♣ A and enough to make a serious slam try. The ♠ Q and ♦ K only take us up to thirteen hcp, so south will have something extra.

Some of these fine deductions are easier when you have a regular partnership and you know how optimistic or pessimistic partner is likely to be. I think it is close to bid the grand on the available information.


No comments:

Post a Comment

Fit Jumps Opener has 5422 Hand 16

Board 16 North Deals ♠ 8 7 ♥ A K 6 5 ♦ A 10 8 7 3 ♣ A 6 ♠ J 6 5 3 ♥ J 8 2 ♦ 4 2 ♣ K Q 8 4 N W E S ♠ K Q 9 4 2 ♥ 10 9...