Acol Opening Two Bids (DLM ref : HBSET9) ª A 8 7 Board 1 : Dealer North : Love all © A K 4 2 ¨ A K 7 6 West North East South § K 5 2NT Pass 3NT ª 6 ª Q J 10 9 5 4 All Pass © Q 9 6 © J 10 5 3 ¨ J 10 9 5 ¨ Q 2 2NT shows 20­22 points. South has enough to raise § A 8 7 3 2 § 4 to game, but without a 4­card major. ª K 3 2 East leads ªQ. Declarer takes ªA and tackles clubs, © 8 7 starting with §K. ªK is an entry for the clubs if West ¨ 8 4 3 decides to let §K hold the trick. § Q J 10 9 6 Board 2 : Dealer East : NS vulnerable West North East South 2NT Pass 6NT All Pass ª 9 6 5 4 © 8 7 2 2NT shows 20­22 points. With 14 points West knows ¨ 10 9 5 4 the partnership has at least 34 points so decides to § 9 8 try for a slam. ª Q 3 2 ª K 8 7 Declarer is unlucky: it is going to be very hard to © Q 6 3 © A K 4 avoid two spade losers. There are various tests that ¨ Q J 3 ¨ A K 7 declarer can set South. § A Q J 10 § K 5 3 2 If declarer leads ª7 from his hand South must play ª A J 10 low (Second hand plays low). © J 10 9 5 If declarer leads ªK from his hand, South must play ¨ 8 6 2 ªA (Cover an honour with an honour). § 7 6 4 If South passes every test his side will eventually come to two spade tricks. Note that if South wrongly cashes ªA at trick 1 that is the last trick for the defence. South’s ªA has a role: to kill East’s ªK. ª 3 2 Board 3 : Dealer South : EW vulnerable © Q J 6 3 ¨ Q J 3 West North East South § Q J 10 2 2NT ª K Q J 10 4 ª 9 6 5 Pass 3§ Pass 3© © 10 9 © 8 7 2 Pass 4© All Pass ¨ 8 6 2 ¨ 10 9 5 4 § A 6 4 § 9 8 7 2NT shows 20­22 points. 3§ is Stayman. 3© shows ª A 8 7 four hearts and North bids the obvious game. © A K 5 4 4© is easy but note that 3NT would be easily defeated ¨ A K 7 on a spade lead. In 4© declarer draws trumps, drives § K 5 3 out §A and makes 11 tricks. Acol Opening Two Bids (DLM ref : HBSET9) Board 4 : Dealer West : All vulnerable West North East South ª 10 9 6 5 4 2NT Pass 3© Pass © A 10 4© All Pass ¨ Q 9 8 6 § 6 4 2NT shows 20­22 points. 3© is forcing, showing five ª 8 7 ª K 3 2 hearts. With 3­card heart support West prefers the © K 4 2 © Q J 6 5 3 heart game to 3NT. ¨ A K J 3 ¨ 5 4 To make 4© declarer should aim to ruff a spade in § A K Q 3 § 10 5 2 dummy, but South can prevent that with a trump ª A Q J lead. If South leads ©7, North takes ©A and returns © 9 8 7 ©10. Declarer might win in dummy and try the spade ¨ 10 7 2 finesse but it fails and South leads the last trump. § J 9 8 7 Now declarer might desperately try the diamond finesse for his tenth trick but that fails as well. Even if South fails to find the initial trump lead, a trump switch when he wins ªA defeats the contract. Board 5 : Dealer North : NS vulnerable ª A 2 © K J 3 2 West North East South ¨ A K 8 7 2NT Pass 4ª § A Q 5 All Pass ª Q J 10 9 ª 3 © A 9 5 4 © Q 10 6 2NT shows 20­22 points. South picks game in the ¨ 10 5 2 ¨ Q J 9 6 major suit game, knowing of at least an 8­card trump § 7 6 § J 10 9 8 2 fit. ª K 8 7 6 5 4 West should lead ªQ. North takes ªA and tries ªK but © 8 7 is disappointed by the 4­1 break. He must now guess ¨ 4 3 hearts correctly to make his contract. He leads ©7. § K 4 3 West plays low (as second hand) and declarer must guess whether to play dummy’s ©K or ©J. Board 6 : Dealer East : EW vulnerable West North East South 2§ Pass ª A 7 6 2¨ Pass 2NT Pass © J 9 5 4 3ª Pass 3NT All Pass ¨ 10 6 5 2 § 7 6 2§ is artificial and 100% forcing, indeed it is game ª K Q 10 4 3 ª J 2 forcing unless the auction starts 2§ 2¨ 2NT. 2¨ is a © 8 7 3 © A K 2 negative response, showing 0­7 points (or maybe up ¨ 4 3 ¨ A K 8 7 to nine points in queens and jacks). 2NT shows 23­ § 4 3 2 § A K Q 5 24 points. 3ª is forcing, showing five spades. With ª 9 8 5 only two spades East settles for 3NT. © Q 10 6 Despite the combined 29 points, declarer should fail. ¨ Q J 9 He wins the club lead and tries ªJ but North lets it § J 10 9 8 win. Declarer continues spades and, remembering that the bidding suggests East has only two spades, North wins ªA. Declarer now cannot use dummy’s spades and goes one off. Acol Opening Two Bids (DLM ref : HBSET9) Board 7 : Dealer South : All vulnerable ª 9 3 2 West North East South © 8 7 2§ ¨ 10 9 5 3 2 Pass 2¨ Pass 2NT § 7 5 2 All Pass ª K Q J 10 4 ª 5 © A 10 9 © J 6 3 2 2§ is artificial and 100% forcing, indeed it is game ¨ 8 4 ¨ K J 7 6 forcing unless the auction starts 2§ 2¨ 2NT. 2¨ is a § 8 6 4 § Q 10 9 3 negative response, showing 0­7 points (or maybe up ª A 8 7 6 to nine points in queens and jacks). 2NT shows 23­24 © K Q 5 4 points. ¨ A Q West leads ªK. Declarer faces a nightmare because § A K J he cannot reach dummy to take finesses. The hand is almost unplayable and declarer is likely to go two or three off. Board 8 : Dealer West : Love all West North East South ª J 10 2§ Pass 2¨ Pass © Q 9 3 2ª Pass 2NT Pass ¨ Q J 10 5 3ª Pass 4ª All Pass § A Q J 8 ª A K Q 8 5 4 ª 6 3 2 2§ is artificial and 100% forcing, indeed it is game © A K 8 © 7 6 5 4 forcing unless the auction starts 2§ 2¨ 2NT. 2¨ is a ¨ A K 9 ¨ 8 7 3 negative response, showing 0­7 points (or maybe up § 2 § 9 4 3 to nine points in queens and jacks). 2ª is game ª 9 7 forcing. 2NT is a second negative showing 0­2 points. © J 10 2 North leads ¨Q. Declarer wins ¨A and draws trumps ¨ 6 4 2 in two rounds. He then cashes ©A K and conceded a § K 10 7 6 5 heart. Defenders may persist in diamonds but declarer wins ¨K and overtakes ª4 with ª6 so he can discard a loser on ©7, which is now a winner. Eleven tricks. Board 9 : Dealer North : EW vulnerable West North East South 2§ Pass 2¨ ª A K Q 8 4 Pass 2ª Pass 2NT © A K 8 2 Pass 3© Pass 4© ¨ A K 9 All Pass § 2 ª 10 ª J 9 7 5 3 2§ is artificial and 100% forcing, indeed it is game © J 10 3 © Q 9 forcing unless the auction starts 2§ 2¨ 2NT. 2¨ is a ¨ 6 5 4 ¨ Q J 10 negative response, showing 0­7 points (or maybe up § K J 10 7 6 3 § A Q 8 to nine points in queens and jacks). 2ª is game ª 6 2 forcing. 2NT is a second negative showing 0­2 points. © 7 6 5 4 3© is a second suit. ¨ 8 7 3 2 East leads ¨Q, won by ¨A. Declarer then cashes ©A K § 9 5 4 and leaves the remaining trump. He continues with ªA K Q, trumps ª4, returns to hand with ¨K and ruffs his ª8. At some stage West may ruff with ©J but it doesn’t prevent declarer taking ten tricks. Acol Opening Two Bids (DLM ref : HBSET9) Board 10 : Dealer East : All vulnerable ª 3 © 5 4 3 West North East South ¨ K 10 9 7 6 2§ Pass § 9 7 4 2 2ª Pass 4NT Pass ª A 9 8 7 6 5 ª K Q J 2 5© Pass 7ª All Pass © 2 © A K Q J 10 9 ¨ A 5 4 3 ¨ 8 2§ is artificial and 100% forcing, indeed it is game § 6 5 § A K forcing unless the auction starts 2§ 2¨ 2NT. 2ª is a ª 10 4 natural positive response. 4NT is Blackwood: 5© © 8 7 6 shows two aces. East can count 13 tricks (indeed he ¨ Q J 2 could have bid 7NT). § Q J 10 8 3 Board 11 : Dealer South : Love all West North East South ª J 4 3 2§ © 4 2 Pass 2¨ Pass 2ª ¨ K 8 7 6 5 Pass 3ª Pass 4ª § 8 7 5 All Pass ª 6 ª 9 8 5 © J 10 9 3 © Q 7 6 5 2§ is artificial and 100% forcing, indeed it is game ¨ A 9 4 3 ¨ J 10 forcing unless the auction starts 2§ 2¨ 2NT.