English Bridge Useful Conventions by David Bakhshi S Roman Key-Card N O I T N E Blackwood V N O C L IN this series, we will look at several responder also reveals whether he holds the U conventions that have been embraced queen of trumps, the final im portant card F both by the expert community and also by when bidding good slams. E aspiring players looking to develop their S bidding accuracy. The first of these is a How does the 4NT bidder proceed? David Bakhshi U variation on the Blackwood convention, which utilises a bid of 4NT to ask partner While it may seem that having either/or how many aces he holds, to ensure that the responses will be confusing to the 4NT 1 RKCB with spades as trumps; 2 1 or 4 key cards; partnership does not attempt to bid a slam bidder, it will often be the case that he 3 Asking for the spade queen; 4 ♠Q + ♣K. when missing two aces. The traditional will know how many key cards his responses to the Blackwood 4NT enquiry partner has as a result of the number of Asking for kings are: 5 ♣ = 0 or 4 aces; 5 ♦ = 1 ace; 5 ♥ = 2 key cards he possesses himself. If two key aces; 5 ♠ = 3 aces. cards are missing, the enquirer will simply Can the enquirer still ask for kings when sign off by returning to the trump suit at interested in a grand slam? Why have variations developed? the five level. When the partner ship is As with regular Blackwood, the enquirer missing just one key card, he will still be can ask for kings by asking for key cards How many times have you bid a slam that interested in slam; now the enquirer first, then following up with a bid of 5NT. failed having found out that your part - should consider whether there is a This confirms that the partnership has all nership is only missing one ace? The most danger of losing to the queen of trumps. five key cards and asks for kings excluding likely reasons for such slam contracts to be However, following a response of 5 ♣/5 ♦ the king of trumps. The two most common defeated are unavoidable losers in the the enquirer will not know whether his ways to respond are to bid the cheapest trump suit. For example, holding: partner also holds the trump queen. The king in the same way that the responder ♠ Axxx ♥ KQJxx ♦ x ♣ KQx solution is for the RKCB bidder to follow shows a king when responding positively it would be reasonable to respond 4NT if up with a second enquiry. This is achieved to the trump queen enquiry, or to show partner opens 1 ♠ and then bid 6 ♠ if the by bidding the next suit up (excluding the number of kings, as follows: opener shows two aces by bidding 5 ♥. the trump suit). Thus after a 5 ♣ response, 6♣ = 0 Kings However, if the opener has: a bid of 5 ♦ asks for the trump queen (5 ♥ 6♦ = 1 King ♠ Jxxx ♥ Ax ♦ AKQx ♣ Jxx if diamonds are trumps). The responder 6♥ = 2 Kings the chances of losing just one trump trick returns to the trump suit at the lowest 6♠ = 3 Kings will be very small. Thus it is useful to level without the queen, and bids the incorporate information regarding trump trump suit with a jump when holding quality, rather than simply showing the the queen. In summary: number of aces held by the responder to a Note: when confident of the initial prin - Blackwood enquiry. ciples, a further twist is for the responder to 1. When the partnership have bid the cheapest suit in which he holds the found a fit, a bid of 4NT is an How do the responses differ king when making a positive response to enquiry relating to the five key when playing RKCB? the trump queen enquiry. For example: cards – the four aces and the king of trumps. Roman Key-Card Blackwood is the brain - 2. Following a 5 ♣/5 ♦ response, a child of Eddie Kantar (one of USA’s best ♠ A Q 6 3 ♠ K 7 5 4 2 bid of the next suit (excluding player/teachers), who came up with the ♥ K J 5 3 2 N ♥ A trumps) asks for the remaining W E idea that the 4NT enquiry should ask for ♦ 4 S ♦ A 6 important card – the queen of the five ‘key cards’: the four aces and the ♣ K 7 2 ♣ A Q J 5 3 trumps. king of trumps. The responses are: 3. A bid of 5NT (which has been 5♣ = 0 or 3 key cards. preceded by a 4NT enquiry) 5♦ = 1 or 4 key cards. West East confirms the partnership has all 5♥ = 2 key cards without the trump 1♥ 1♠ five key cards and asks about queen. 3♠ 4NT 1 kings in case a grand slam can be 5♠ = 2 key cards with the trump queen. 5♦2 5♥3 made. r Note that when holding two key cards, the 6♣4 7♠ www.ebu.co.uk December 2008 English Bridge 13 S N O Splinter I T N E V bids N O C OUR second convention is a tool which Can the opener make L allows for greater accuracy when judging Splinter bids? U F whether to bid towards slam with minimal E values. When seeking to bid low point Splinters can also be S count slams, it is important to determine Hand B employed by the David Bakhshi U whether the partnership’s hands are fitting ♠ A Q 4 3 opener, and typically together well. The key to this often lies in ♥ K Q 7 involve a double jump the ability to judge whether a player’s short ♦ 2 in a new suit. Holding Thus, it is generally the case that one suit holdings are going to either generate ♣ A Q 8 3 2 Hand B, the opener should be encouraged by length and/or extra tricks by ruffing or reduce the would bid 1 ♣ and fol - possession of the ace in the Splinter suit, number of losers held in the short suit. lowing a 1 ♠ res ponse while being discouraged by shortage and/ could just raise to 4 ♠. However, it would or possession of the king, queen and jack How can this be achieved? be better to show a raise with short in the Splinter suit. diamonds, so he rebids 4 ♦, a double jump Here is an example of Splinters in action: While it is helpful to in a new suit, allowing responder to assess Hand A count points when if the partnership should try for slam. ♠ K 7 4 supporting partner ♠ K J 5 3 ♠ A Q 8 6 2 ♥ A Q 6 5 with a balanced hand, Do Splinters always involve ♥ 5 N ♥ A 7 6 4 W E ♦ K 8 4 3 2 it is usually advisable a double jump? ♦ A Q 7 6 3 S ♦ K J 5 ♣ 7 to be bolder with ♣ J 7 6 ♣ 3 unbalanced hands. While a double jump is often needed This is especially true when agreeing a suit, only a single jump is when supporting to the game level. For necessary once a suit has been agreed, i.e. West East example, partner opens 1 ♥ and res ponder 1♥ – 2 ♥ – 4 ♣. Also, it is worth noting 1♦ 1 ♠ holds a hand such as Hand A. Without any that any jump to the four level should be 2♠1 4♣2 conven tional tools, the res ponder could treated as a Splinter, e.g, 1 ♠ – 2 ♥ – 4 ♦. 4NT 3 5♠4 either bid 4 ♥ (leaving part ner to guess This should be logical, as the opener could 6♠ All Pass whether the 4 ♥ bid is based on high cards simply bid 3 ♦ with a non-minimum hand, 1 Not strong enough to Splinter or just dis tributional values), 2 ♦ (hoping and can only afford to go beyond 3NT 2 Splinter to make a ‘Delayed Game Raise’ – a when confident that the partnership already 3 Roman Key-Card Blackwood treatment which is no longer particularly have a fit. Lastly, a single jump in an oppo - 4 Two key cards and the ♠Q fashionable), or 4NT Roman Key-Card nent’s suit should also be treated as a Blackwood (gam b ling that the hands will Splinter. Again this should make sense, as have a play for slam if opener has at least a principle of Splinters is that the Splinter In summary: three key cards). However, it would clearly bid should not take the partnership beyond be better to be able to show a hand with game, but merely allow partner to decide • A Splinter bid typically involves a the values for game with primary support whether to go that step further. double jump in a new suit, and and a short age (singleton or void) in clubs shows at least four-card support – the essence of a Splinter bid. How does one evaluate one’s and values for game, as well as a hand opposite a Splinter? shortage in the suit bid. How can a Splinter be • Only a single jump is necessary once recognised? When partner makes a Splinter bid, an a suit has been agreed, if a double effective approach is to consider the impact jump would take the partnership Let us first consider Splinter bids by the of knowing that partner has at most one beyond game, or when jumping in responder.