June Master Solvers Panel

By Marshall Miles
San Bernardino, Calif.

Our June panelists are Mark Itabashi and Rick Roeder, District 22; Rita Shugart (bidding with Andrew Robson) and Harvey Brody, District 21; and Fred Hamilton and Jan Janitschke, from District 17, with Billy Eisenberg our guest panelist at large.

Problem 1.

Vulnerability irrelevant

You, South, hold

ª-- ©Q543 ¨AKJ75 §AK104

North    East    South    West
1ª        Pass     2¨        Pass
2©        Pass     ?

What call do you make?

BRODY: 5©. While slam seems likely, we need to know the quality of partner’s hearts. If partner passes we probably do not have slam and if they have a super heart holding like AKxxx they probably should make a further grand slam try.

EISENBERG: 3© followed by 5§.

HAMILTON: 3©. I believe it is best to set trump as soon as possible. This is forcing no matter what system or style you are playing. It is possible that you have no slam (depending on how light we open), and it’s possible that 6© needs lucky trumps when 6NT is cold. Let’s try to get some more info before we charge into slam. 7© is a real possibility, of course. If over the raise to 3© partner just bids 4© you can still use the grand slam force. I do not think you can stop short of 6©, even though it might need luck if partner has hearts as bad as Kxxx. If it is worse, too bad: but how could you tell to stay out?

JANITSCHKE: 3©. Not very satisfactory, but I don’t want to drive to the 5-level and catch partner with Kxxx (or worse). Playing some sort of serious 3NT might help, or even bidding 2NT here (to find out if partner has five hearts) is an idea.

ITABASHI: 3©. We have several choices but since we can't count enough tricks at this point we cannot bid 5NT or 4ª (exclusion). The problem is that partner will not have anything to cuebid, so getting information is hard. If partner just bids 4©, then 6© is probably the goal, but sometimes he'll bid 4ª in which case trying for a grand slam with 5NT would be reasonable.

ROEDER: I would bid 3ª as a splinter, even though this is not a mainstream use of 3ª, it is very helpful because when one holds shortness in pard’s long suit, it is often hard to tell if the shortness is useful opposite say, Axxxx or a detriment opposite KJxxx, QJxxx or even KQxxx. Here even my preferred treatment of 3ª will not solve all problems, since it may be wrong to play a 4-4 fit if pard has weakish hearts. If barred from bidding 3ª in this manner, it is close between 3© and 3§. It is intuitive to immediately support hearts, but if pard has either four clubs or three diamonds, or Qx of diamonds, a 3§ bid might be the winner. The coin flip for second choice comes up 3§ in IMPs and 3© in matchpoints.

M.M.: Perhaps you could get more information by bidding 3§ than by bidding 3©. Check Rita and Andrew’s opinion:

RITA-ANDREW: 3§, so that we are less committed to playing in hearts (especially if partner bids 3¨). Admittedly this fourth suit bid murks the auction somewhat, but it is so likely that strains apart from hearts will play better for slam (e.g. ªAKxxx ©Kxxx ¨Qx §Qx or the like).

M.M.: When I held this hand I bid 5NT, but I am now convinced that 5NT is a poor gamble. There are possible losers outside of hearts, but I’d be willing to risk six (not seven) if I knew partner had ©AJxx or ©KJxx, but he needs the jack to make it likely that we have only one loser in hearts. But the panelists who looked for alternate contracts were right: there was a much better contract than 6©. Partner actually held ªAKJ10x ©Axxx ¨Qxxx §—-. If I had rebid 3§, he would have bid 4¨, and we would have reached 6¨. But over the heart GSF partner knew that I was missing either the king or queen of hearts and if it was the queen we were missing, 7¨ would have a better play than 6©, so he bid 7¨ (which I could have made if I had played spades to be 4-4 rather than taking a ruffing finesse). Why didn’t partner just bid 6¨? Because we show graded responses to the grand slam force; 6¨ wouldn’t show diamonds; it would show the ace or king of hearts, but not the queen.

Problem 2.

Neither vul, matchpoints

You, South, hold

ªAKQJ64 ©95 ¨QJ6 §98

West North East South
1¨ Pass Pass ?

What call do you make?

EISENBERG: 3ª.

M.M: That seems about right on level for spades, but it feels wrong on distribution. 6-2-3-2 distribution seems excessive for a double jump.

RITA-ANDREW: 1ª. Our thinking is very much on notrump, but we must bid spades first, just in case we belong in the solid six-bagger. Plus, if we bid notrump, what level is right? Surely there is too much playing strength for 1NT, yet 2NT or 3NT feels too much.

ITABASHI: 1ª. Even if I played 2ª as intermediate, I would bid 1ª and hope to offer 2NT later in the auction, as 3NT is a more likely make than 4ª.

ROEDER: 1ª. Not good enough for 2ª with no controls outside my suit. A balancing 1NT overcall could work well but I would only do it if Rod Serling had issued me an invitation into the Twilight Zone.

BRODY: 1ª. You have great spades, but I don’t think this hand is enough to bid 2ª.

JANITSCHKE: 2ª. What else?

HAMILTON: 2ª.Your choices are between 1ª and then bidding 3ª if partner bids anything, or an immediate 2ª (intermediate, a bit light in HCP, but getting the suit strength across). I could accept either action, but to double instead is the wrong idea completely.

M.M.: The bid I recommend (and actually made) is 1NT. We may or may not get to game, but I expect us to take as many tricks in notrump as we could in spades. Partner had ªxx ©Axxx ¨Axx §10xxx, and our score of +150 was a cold top (the field scoring +140). A reopening 1NT bid over 1ª (I play the same over either major) can be stronger than over a minor (12-16 vs 11-14), but even so, there is more of a chance of getting to a bad game if you bid 2ª. Not bidding spades is a slight risk at imps, but outweighed, in my opinion, at matchpoints, and perhaps at IMP, since 2ª will often lead to the wrong game. Yes, there are some hands that will play better in spades, but not many, because the ¨QJx will often be worthless at spades but always valuable at notrump.

Problem 3.

North-South vul, matchpoints

You, South, hold

ªA986 ©AQJ1072 ¨A §J4

North    East    South    West
1¨         Pass    1©         Pass
1ª         Pass    2§         Pass
2NT               Pass    ?

What call do you make?

JANITSCHKE: 3ª. If partner has something like ªQxxx ©x ¨KQxxx §AQ9 and bids 3NT, that’s OKay by me. At matchpoints I like to seek out 3NT, not iffy slams.

EISENBERG: 3ª. 3NT or 3© could win, but I am old-fashioned.

HAMILTON: 3ª. Again it’s important to show support before we do anything rash. Yes, the hand may play better in hearts or notrump, and there is certainly some case for bidding 3© rather than supporting spades now, but this loses partner’s reaction to a forcing spade raise. If we hear 3NT next we may want to play in hearts. If we hear 4§ we can follow with 4¨ and then 6©, which lets partner know our hearts are much better than our spades.

BRODY: 3ª describes the hand at this point. I would like partner to play the hand to protect the club holding.

M.M.: If you are going to bid spades, 4ª would show a hand too strong to bid 4ª immediately over 1ª. However, if partner’s spades are weak we may belong in hearts or notrump, so there are pros and cons (mostly cons) to jumping.

RITA-ANDREW: 3©. Similar story to Problem 1, where the strain for slam is not necessarily the 4-4 fit. If partner bids 3ª over 3© we’ll likely get to 6ª; otherwise hearts (or notrump) may work better.

ITABASHI: 3©. Almost any hand where partner has two hearts rates to play better in hearts than spades, especially when partner’s spades are weak.

M.M.: This hand might have been easier playing strong jump shifts. But Paul Soloway suggested, and most experts agreed at the time, that a strong jump shift denies a second suit (unless it is partner’s suit for which you hold 4+ card support). So if you are playing Soloway style strong jump shifts and bid 2©, you can never show a spade suit. A spade bid next round would show a singleton spade and great diamond support.

ROEDER: Toughest problem of the set. I would bid 3ª but I admit that if partner has weak spades, a 3© bid could work nicely. I plan to follow up with a 5¨ cue bid if pard bids 4ª. If pard bids 3NT, I will bid 4©. If pard bid 4§, I will trot out Blackwood and give partner the choice of 6© or 6ª if we are off one key card in spades.

Problem 4.

North/South vulnerable

You, South, hold

ªAK ©K54 ¨AKQ8 §KQJ8

West North East South
1© Pass Pass ?

What call do you make?

(a) at matchpoints? (b) at IMPs?

EISENBERG: 2NT, a small underbid. I need a heart honor from partner.

HAMILTON: At either game you must start with Double before you bid 3NT, as a direct 3NT would show a heart stopper and a long strong minor for tricks. There may be no play for game on this hand, but you are certainly going to bid 3NT at some point. I think you should probably give up on five of a minor if pard bids one and then runs from 3NT, since the heart lead through your king will not be pretty. So double and jump to 2NT over a 1ª response, and 3NT over two of a minor. Sometimes one is destined to go minus .

RITA-ANDREW: (a) and (b) Double. What else at this stage? Whether we drive to game may differ at the two forms of scoring, but that is another story.

JANITSCHKE: Double. That’s easy. If LHO is pretty much an honest citizen it would be nuts to just lurch into 3NT. If partner bids 1ª I’m going to try 2§. It seems too much of a gamble to hope partner has ©Qx or ©Jxx.

ITABASHI: (a) Double. The expectation is that you would be off four hearts and the club ace in notrump, so doubling and bidding 2NT would be my choice at matchpoints. If partner has the heart J or Q, then we will make too many. (b) 3NT would be my choice at imps. Hoping that partner has some help in the heart suit.

M.M.: I’m not criticizing Mark’s choice(s) since I have no idea what to do. But I doubt there is any way to get to 3NT when partner has nothing but Jxx of hearts, but to stay in 1NT (or 2NT) when he has no high cards, or onnly the ªQ and/or ªJ.

ROEDER: I would double with any form of scoring with this moose.

Problem 5.

IMPs, North/South vulnerable

North    East    South    West
Pass      Pass    1©        Pass
1NT      Pass    2©        Pass
3©         Pass    3ª        Pass
4©         Pass    Pass      Pass

You lead the ª2 (third from even, lowest from odd) to the ªK and partner’s ªA. He returns the ªQ, declarer playing small again. Partner now leads the §8, and you win the §J when declarer follows with the two. What do you lead at trick four?

EISENBERG: Small diamond. I play declarer for 2-6-1-4. Partner could have played the spade jack with better clubs and no ¨K.

ITABASHI: §K. Since declarer played the ªK at trick one and partner won the ace and queen, we assume declarer did not have the ªJ or we would have ducked the opening lead. The §8 is either a low club or high from the 84. If partner has 84 then he should have switched to it before cashing the second spade, since he would hold the ¨K. Declarer would have bid 3© (rather than 2©) with ªxx ©AKJxxx ¨Kx §AQxx. Declarer should have something like ªxx ©AKJxxx ¨Kx §Qxx, so you should return the §K to take your tricks.

HAMILTON: Another low spade! I’m playing opener to be 4-5 majors, since the 3ª bid can’t be a cuebid on this auction. And surely partner would not return §8 if they wanted a club back. If so they got me! I’ll look for a new pard if that is the case and pard insists that the §8 was the right card holding the §A!

RITA-ANDREW: ª7. Very perplexing. Why did declarer rise with ªK when he has ªJ in hand? Yet why did partner cash ªQ, not ªJ if he had it? And what on earth was South’s 3ª? The only vaguely sensible construction I can think of for declarer is ªJ9xx ©AKxxxx ¨K §Qx, and declarer took his only play by rising with dummy’s ªK in the hope of it winning and shedding losers. So now we give partner an (over) ruff, suit preferencing for clubs.

ROEDER: When pard cashed the second spade, he has directed the defense. No reason for me to overrule. I assume declarer is 4-6 in the majors and play back a spade for pard to ruff. Also, he had club spots lower than the eight, if he wanted to encourage a non-spade play by me.

BRODY: Both partner and declarer seem to be playing a weird game. Why did declarer bid 2© and not 2ª over 1NT? He’s marked with the ªJ ... or is partner fooling around? I can’t tell the spade position: It could be right to lead ©Q, or if partner is underleading the §A it’s right to lead back a club; or if partner has ©J it’s right to be passive and lead a spade. When I get these right, I feel I should run out immediately and buy a lottery ticket!

JANITSCHKE: This one doesn’t make sense. If partner had ªAQJ (x) he should lead the ªJ at trick 2. If partner had §8x, he should shift to clubs at trick 2. If declarer has ªJxx, then his play at trick one was weird. I’m leading a spade, hoping declarer’s hand is ªJ10xx ©AKJxxx ¨void, §AQ4. If partner has the §A, why isn’t he leading a club at trick 2? If he has the ¨K, why isn’t he leading a heart at trick 2?

M.M.: Declarer’s actual hand was ªxx ©AKJ10xx ¨Kx §Qxx. I think he was wildly optimistic to bid over 3©, but that is what happened. Since North bid 1NT as a passed hand, is it likely that he holds four good spades? Would South look for a 4-4 spade fit after a heart raise? No, he must be hoping his partner would bid 3NT and is trying to discourage a spade lead. And wouldn’t he play small from dummy with ªJxxx or ªJxx?

Why didn’t East (with ªAQJx ©xxx ¨xxx §A108) lead the jack of spades rather than the queen? It depends upon who most needs accurate information about spades, partner or declarer. And who can most easily draw inferences. Since East failed to enter the bidding, if declarer has the king-jack of clubs, the more high cards East shows up with, the less likely declarer is to guess right in clubs. The fact that East led the queen of spades rather than the jack (which West should know East has) is a clue to his having underled the ace of clubs! What actually happened is that West returned a diamond. Declarer now had two alternatives: to win the jack of diamonds and take the trump finesse (playing diamonds to break 3-3) or to win in hand and try to drop the doubleton queen of hearts. He tried the latter and stole a vulnerable game.(By now he knew that East had ªAQ or ªAQJ and §A, and was very unlikely to hold the ©Q).