BRIDGERAMA BIDDING AT BRIDGE [CONTINUED] 04 3 BY MICHEL BESSIS, PHILIPPE CRONIER & JEAN-CHRISTOPHE QUANTIN

SOME PRACTICE!

Practical Exercises Bidding is not everything THREE NO-. THERE IS IN LIFE! STOPPER PROBLEMS.

1 1 ♠ 74 W North E S A) 4♥ PROBLEM ♥ ♥ Q10632 1NT Pass 2♦ B) 3NT ♠ Q6432 Contract: 4 . ♣ ♦ AJ8 Pass 2♥ Pass ? C) 3♣ ♥ 852 Lead: 5. ♦ K974 East wins the trick with the King and ♣ KJ97 ♣ 2 plays back a trump. 2 N ♠ 953 W North E S A) 3NT You take the Ace and... W E ♥ KQ6 1♣ Pass 1♦ B) 2♠ a) You play the King of Spades. ♦ A J 10 7 4 Pass 1♥ Pass ? C) 1♠ S b) You a Club. ♣ K6 ♠ K8 c) You play the Queen of Diamonds. ♥ AKQ1097 ♦ 3 ♠ QJ ♠ KJ4 W North E S A) 2 ♣ J106 ♥ 974 1♦ Pass 2♣ B) 2♥ ♦ Q5 Pass 2♦ Pass ? C) 3NT ♣ A K 10 6 2 PROBLEM 2 4 Contract: 6♠. ♠ J74 W North E S A) 3♥ ♠ Q1085 ♥ AKJ Lead: ♠4. ♥ AQ5 1♦ Pass 2NT B) 3♦ Pass 3♣ Pass ? C) 4♣ ♦ AQ ♦ J52 ♣ A753 You draw all outstanding trumps ♣ K 10 7 3 N and... a) Try the Heart . W E 5 b) Try the Diamond finesse. ♠ K Q 10 4 W N E South A) 2NT S c) a Club. ♥ 9 1♣ B) 3NT ♠ AKJ962 ♦ A72 Pass 1♥ Pass 1♠ C) 3♦ Pass 2♦ Pass ? ♥ 53 ♣ AK752 ♦ 64 ♣ K62 6 ♠ ♠ 84 W North E S A) 4 ♣ ♥ J52 1♠ Pass 2♣ B) 3 ♦ ♥ ♥ ♦ K54 Pass 2 Pass 2 C) 3 3 ♠ PROBLEM ♣ A K Q 10 4 Pass 2 Pass ? ♠ AKQ Contract: 6♦. ♥ K3 ♥ 7 Lead: Q. ♠ AK73 W N E South A) 2NT ♦ J104 You play the Diamond Ace, every- ♣ QJ1062 ♥ 93 1♣ B) 3♣ body follows. N ♦ 852 Pass 1♥ Pass 1♠ C) 2♠ Pass 2♦ Pass ? ♣ AQ96 W E Which finesse(s) do you count on trying now or later? S a) The Club finesse? 8 A) 3NT ♠ J6 W N E South ♠ 96 b) The Diamond finesse? B) 3♠ ♥ K5 1♣ ♥ A4 c) None of them? ♣ ♦ 843 Pass 1♠ Pass 2♣ C) 4 ♦ AK9652 ♦ ♣ ♣ A95 ♣ AKJ965 Pass 2 Pass 3 Pass 3♥ Pass ? BRIDGERAMA 4 04 BIDDING AT BRIDGE [CONTINUED] BY MICHEL BESSIS, PHILIPPE CRONIER & JEAN-CHRISTOPHE QUANTIN

THE SOLUTIONS

The Declarer BIDDING PLAY

1 PROBLEM 1 Start by playing Diamonds (line of play c) 3NT = 5 No singleton, no desire to play ano- 3♣ = 3 ther contract than 3NT or Four Hearts. ♠ Q6432 Given the trump return 4♥ = 2 Offer this choice by bidding 3NT. ♥ 852 and the lack of an imme- ♦ K974 diate to your hand, ♣ 2 2 you won't be able to ruff two 1♠ = 5 You have enough to play game, but ♠ J9 N ♠ A1075 Clubs in dummy. There- ♥ 63 ♥ J4 fore, your tenth trick must 2♠ = 3 opener's hand is not known precisely, W E 3NT = 1 and you don't stop the last suit, Spades. ♦ A10653 ♦ 82 be the Diamond King. Start ♣ Q853 ♣ AK974 It's time for fourth suit forcing (1♠, not S by playing Diamonds. Later, 2♠ in standard methods). ♠ K8 when your Diamonds are 3 ♥ AKQ1097 unblocked, you ruff a Club 2♠ = 5 It is out of the question to jump to 3NT ♦ QJ to get back to dummy so ♣J106 3NT = 2 without a Heart stop opposite a pos- that you can cash the Dia- 2♥ = 1 sible singleton in opener's hand. Bid mond King (a Spade + six 2♠, the suit you have a stopper in: Hearts + two Diamonds + a affirmative third suit. Club ruff = ten tricks). 4 3♥ = 5 Your partner probably has shortness 3♦ = 3 in one of the majors. Show him your 2  4♣ = 1 Heart strength by bidding 3♥. He won't PROBLEM Try the Heart finesse (line of play a) try 3NT if he is short in Spades. In order to make good 5 ♠ Q1085 ♥ AKJ use of all your chances, 3♦ = 5 This is useful to know: by raising the ♦ AQ you need to play a Heart 3NT = 3 fourth suit you show a good three-sui- ♣ A753 towards the Jack (free 2NT = 1 ter and, in principle, the Ace in the ♠ 74 N ♠ 3 finesse). If the finesse fails, fourth suit. This may allow you to play ♥ 976 ♥ Q10842 you'll discard a Club on the W E 3NT from the right side (partner's), if he ♦ J9873 ♦ K1052 Heart King and then ruff a has the doubleton Queen in Diamonds. ♣ Q109 S ♣ J84 Club in your hand. If they 6 ♠ are not 3-3, you still have 3♥ = 5 ♠ AKJ962 2 does not promise six cards in ♥ 53 the Diamond finesse. That's 3♣ = 3 Spades. 3NT is perhaps still the best ♦ 64 a nice addition! 4♠ = 1 contract if North has a half stopper in ♣K62 Hearts, the doubleton Queen for exa- mple. Repeat the fourth suit to try to find out. 7 PROBLEM 3 Try the Diamond finesse (line of play b) 2♠ = 5 This is not a standard convention: the Win - Win. After the Ace 2NT = 3 “neither nor”. After 1♣(♦)-1♥-1♠- ♠ AKQ 3♣ = 1 2♦(♣), the 2♠ bid describes a balanced ♥ K3 of Diamonds, you eliminate hand with neither three Hearts nor a ♦ J104 Hearts and Spades and then stopper in the last suit. With a 6-5 or a ♣ QJ1062 present the Jack of Dia- 5-5, we jump to 3♠. ♠ 10852 N ♠ J743 monds. If East follows, you 8 ♥ QJ1062 ♥ 9875 let it run. Even if West can W E 3♠ = 5 Watch out for the trap! 2♦, third suit ♦ 3 ♦ Q87 win with the Queen (dou- 4♣ = 3 forcing, is not natural. 3♥ is there- ♣ K43 S ♣ 87 bleton), he can only exit with 3NT = 2 fore a true third suit that confirms the ♠ 96 a Club or give you a ruff and stopper in Hearts. Without a Diamond ♥ A4 discard. If East discards, you stopper, you can't bid 3NT. Show your ♦ AK9652 can still fall back on the Club doubleton honor in Spades. ♣A95 finesse.