This week’s bridge news sheet No. 294 has 6 articles. First of all we have ♠A542 ♥A43 ♦9873 ♣AK opposite ♠K86 ♥1075 ♦AQ42 ♣J52 and the bidding went 1NT (15-17) – 3NT, OK? NO! it’s not OK! It’s not unlucky that 3NT does not make, the culprits simply did not understand hand evaluation. The opening hand is not worth 1NT (open 1♦) and the flat responding hand is only worth a raise to 2NT. With experienced players it should go 1♦ – 1NT – pass.
Next we had a hand where a player jumped straight into Blackwood with a weak side suit and then did not know what to do – the answer was to bid 4th suit forcing first.
Then we have a rather similar deal, you hold ♠7 ♥A852 ♦AKQ10865 ♣9 and partner opens 1♥, what do you bid? The holder chose a ridiculous bid of 4♣ which was asking for aces in her system. She got a one ace reply and then bid 6♥, knowing nothing about partner’s strength nor the whereabouts of the trump king and queen. Obviously Jacoby 2NT (or something similar) followed by Roman Keycard Blackwood answers all of the questions.
Next we have a simple situation which two players messed up. You hold ♠K2 ♥A10 ♦KQ10863 ♣J83 opposite partner’s ♠AQ97 ♥K754 ♦J7 ♣Q64. Partner opens 1♣ and RHO overcalls 1♠, what do you bid? At one table responder correctly chose 2♦ (natural and forcing unless you play negative free bids) but partner passed because he was minimum. At another table responder chose 3♦ and was not pleased when partner passed that, saying that it was a weak bid. It’s up to you what 3♦ means, you simply have to agree – weak or a splinter?
Finally we have two Dave columns. One is the usual play of the hand problem and the other is a bidding problem where Bridge Baron bid to 3NT when 7♣ was laydown
Tags: bridge, conventions, news
