In the DARE hands last Monday, the moderator remarked that although the hands were intended as problems in declarer play, defense could also arise as an issue.  Hand 4 made this point strongly. It was played 4 times. Twice the defense started down a path to set it but the hand made, twice the defense played so the hand could be made but it went down.

https://www.bridgebase.com/tools/handviewer.html?lin=st||pn|S,W,N,E|md|2ST4HAQJDK8532CAJ4,S9853HKT7DQJT7C65,S762H943DA4CKQ972,SAKQJH8652D96CT83|sv|b|rh||ah|Board%204|mb|P|mb|P|mb|P|mb|1D|mb|P|mb|2C|mb|P|mb|2N|mb|P|mb|3N|mb|P|mb|P|mb|P|pc|

The prescribed opening lead is the spade 8.

First assume that EW cash all four spades, as happened at two tables. From the auction, we then know that W has the heart K so forget the finesse. Assuming clubs run, we see 8 tricks. How do we make the hand? Say that after the spades are cashed, E leads a heart. Declarer needs W to have the heart T as well as the K, and four diamonds. And so it is. So the hand can be made on a red suit squeeze after the first four spades are cashed.  On the spades, S follows twice and then throws two diamonds while dummy follows thrice and then tosses a heart. The threats are the heart 9 and the diamond 8, and transportation is intact.

At two other tables, after E won the first spade, he switched to a heart. The count is not rectified, the squeeze won't work, so the heart Q loses to the K, but now W needs to return a spade. He didn't. A diamond was returned. that's that for the defense. 

So the defensive question is: How does E convey the message "Hey buddy, I am playing a heart here to get you off the squeeze, please continue spades after you take the heart K"? Squeezes can be tough to recognize, squeeze defense even tougher.

Maybe I have a weird sense of humor but it seems amusing that when the defense cashes the first four spades the hand could be made but wasn't, and when E switches to a heart at T2 the hand could be set but wasn't.

Any thoughts?

I have no idea if we want to look at defensive issues for DARE, but then why not?

Added: It's a bridge adage that when defending against 3NT you should not cash four tricks until you know where the fifth is, or might be, coming from. That explains the heart switch at T2.

BBO has a "Challenge" area where you can challenge a person, or a robot, or a group of up to 8 people. Mostly I have been enjoying robot challenges but I have started in on people. In these, I play with robots, the other person plays with robots, we see whose robots do better.
General question: What are your thoughts?
I sometimes worry that challenging a person could be seen as unfriendly. Like challenging someone to a duel. But I intend it as friendly. I have played with Jack, (Wacko) a couple of times and we have enjoyed it. It could also provide the opportunity to clarify agreements.
I plan to do some challenges. I won't be upset if you turn me down. If this goes well, I will see if we can do some multi-person challenges.

I had pretty much decided that the sleight of hand thread was dead but Blu indicated some interest so here is something that I have been thinking about.

I don't recall the vul or the form of scoring and I don't recall the hands exactly but I think I can come close enough.

Pard opens a spade, Rho doubles, you hold

S: A8x
H: xx
D: Jxxxx
C: AQx

An 11 count with a bit of shape support for pard.

XX seems right. It was suggested that a conventional 2NT might be right but my styke is that 2NT is invit plus with four card support, when I have three card support I XX and then show my support on the next round. I believe this to be reasonably standard.

So:

1S    X   XX-  Pass
Pass 1NT ?


I don't regard my hand as minimal for the XX but how good is it? I just bid 2S, some thought I should bid 3S, I think they might be right. I'll get back to that, but I titled this post inferences. And so?

I have 2 hearts. My Lho did not bid 2H over my XX. That at least suggests that he does not have four hearts. So it's reasonable to think that Rho has four hearts, Khi does not have four hearts, but then pard has four hearts.  So pard is 5-4-?-?. Since I have more Ds than Cs, perhaos pard has more Cs than Ds, let's see where that line of thinking goes. Lho also did not bid 2m over my XX. That could be because he does not have four of either, that would give him at least four spades. And that would give Rho at most one spade. But he did bid 1NT. Well, perhaps he is 1=4=4=4 and trusting that he will not really end up playng in NT, but also maybe he is 3=4=3=3. As of yet he only knows that I have a XX, he does not know that it is based on support, he could ell thing 1NT is as good as anything for the moment. Giving Lho 3=4=3=3 and Lho 2=3=4=4 makes pard 5=4=3=1, and this all seems very consistent with the auction as it has gone so far. And it turns out that is how it is.

Now I could pass 1NT. The usual agreement is that afer the XX the opponents cannot lay at a low level undoubled, so the pass would be forcing. But if I pass or if I double, the auction will probably move on to 2 of something, and I will never convince pard that I have decent three card support unless I show it now. So I am going to show it now.  2S or 3S? I am open to opinions. Maybe 3S is right. Now as it happens, pard is 5=3=3=1 as noted, and she has an 11 count. Perfectly fine opening with the stiff, but I doubt she is accepting a 3S invit. Clearly 3S is passable, if I want to be in game on this I bid 4S.

Now to the two hands, putting declare at the bottom of the diagram:

S: A8x
H: xx
D: Jxxxx
C: AQx


S: KJ9xx
H: Axxx
D: x
C: Kxx
As mentioned I am not completely positive about this but I think it is right. I think the 9 and 8 of spades are important cards.
Probably the three clubs cash without a ruff, the hear ace is a rick.
The X of 1S was on the declarer's left, and the opening lead is the heart K, ducked, the continuation is the heart Q, taken. Now what? That's four tricks. Suppose we are in 4S, where do we find 10 tricks? Possibly we could get one ruff and set up a long diamond by roughing in hnd but that seems a little tough. Can we get 6 trump tricks? Well maybe. And maybe not.

If we go with the inferences above then Lho has 3 spades, Rho has 2. Rho's spade holding could be Qx, or Tx, or QT, or xx. Of course if we get one ruff and bring in the spades w/o loss we have out six spade tricks. but also we might be able to ruff tice and then lose one sade, that's also 6 tricks. Suppose Rho started with the 2=3=4=4 shape and his spades are Qx or QT, or xx.

Ruff a H, club to hand, ruff a heart with the 8. It holds if Rho has xx in spades, it drives out the Q if Rho holds Qx, and while Rho can win with the T if he holds QT his Q now drops. Unfortunately, he holds Tx so he wins with the T and Lho eventually score the Q. The winning play is t ruff with the A and eventually drop the T makinng the 9 in hand high.

We can probably agree that it is delicate. Perhaps we reason that for the 1NT call Lho must have the spade Q. Maybe so. But of sohis other teo spades might be xx or Tx. If QTx, we should uff that last H with the 8, and if Qxx we should ruff the last H with the A.

The odds about balance. The outstanding spades are the Q, the T, and three non-descript cards x, y, and z.
So Lho , if he holds the Q, might have begun with
QTx or QTy or QTz.
Or with Qxy or Qxz or Qyz.

All in all, I think we do not want to be in 4S. And I think we probably would not be in 4S even if I had bid 3S instead of 2S.

But it can be amusing to think of what might have been.

 

There was a fun hand in Wacko Jack's session yesterday that I will say a bit about. I didn't save it but perhaps I can get the essentials. It was the last one played. I don't know vul and such, but here is the hand:

AKx
AJTxxx
void
QJxx

You open 1H, opponents are silent throughout., partner bids 3C. Later it was said this was explained as Bergen, I don't know if it was stipulated whether it was the stronger of the two Bergen calls (so reverse bergen) or the weaker of the two. So we had a somewhat chaotic auction after that, ending in the right contract.

But suppose it is the stronger version of Bergen, meaning 4+ hearts, game invitational.

What do you do, and what does it mean? I have not found a definitive explanation of 1S-3C-3D but as I have played it, the 3D call says: Well, I am not sure about 4S. I have too much to want to sign off in 3S, but I think I would like your input before choosing 4S. In fact, it is my understanding that this is exactly why Bergen reversed the meanings of 3C and 3D from the original version where 3D was the game invit. Of course once you decide on that meaning, you sometimes also use it to judge about slams. Bid 1S-3C-3D, and then, if partner signs off in 3S you go on to 4S. The conclusion is that if pard had bid 4S over 3D, or anything other than pass,  then opener might go on to slam, but after the passable 3S he figures 4S is enough.

There was some discussion of what 3D meant, and I believe what I say is reasonably standard, but I can't promise everyone plays it that way. One of the reasons that I prefer to skip bergen in a casual game is that not everyone agrees about what happens next. 

This still leaves us with the question of what to do. If you bid 3D, partner bids 4C. What then?

I'll now give you the hands:
x
xxxx
AQTxxx
Ax


AKx
AJTxxx
void
QJxx

We reached the completely sensible contract of 6H. I can't say I am happy with my line of play but I made it. The lead was a spade, after which I think the right line is to win the opening lead, cash the heart A, and when everyone follows claim twelve tricks.

Exactly how to bid these is not totally clear to me but surely the right start is to be sure about what means what after 1S-3C, hence this post. One of the purposes of the various lessons is just that, to look for places where meanings need to be discussed.

I enjoy playing with robots. They tell me what their ids mean, or at least what they are supposed to mean, and they stay calm when things go wrong. What's ot to like.
Anyway, I invite anyone to post a robot hand that they found interesting. I will give you two to start with, one worked out well, the other didn't.
You deal, white against red, mps, and you hold:

S: JT6
H: KJ754
D: AK73
C: 8
Looks like an opening bid so I bid 1H

Lho bids 1S, partner passes, Rho bids 2H, I pass, Lho bids 2S, partner and Rho pass, now what?
3D seems reasonable. I suppose pard has clubs, but he might also have Ds and if not maybe we can survive in 3H. At any rate, I bid 3D, Lho passes, pard bids 4D! He did not here my pass over 2H?
Ok, I play 4D passed out. Down 1.
This is the good hand, scoring 92%

https://www.bridgebase.com/tools/handviewer.html?bbo=y&lin=st%7C%7Cmd%7C1SJT6HKJ754DAK73C8%2CSQ9874HA98D94CAT9%2CS52HTDJT52CKQ7532%2CSAK3HQ632DQ86CJ64%7Csv%7CE%7Cah%7CBoard%203%7Cmb%7C1H%7Can%7CMajor%20suit%20opening%20--%205%2B%20%21H%3B%2011-21%20HCP%3B%2012-22%20total%20points%7Cmb%7C1S%7Can%7COne-level%20overcall%20--%205%2B%20%21S%3B%208-17%20HCP%3B%209-19%20total%20points%7Cmb%7CP%7Cmb%7C2H%7Can%7CGood%20support%20in%20S%20--%203%2B%20%21S%3B%2010%2B%20total%20points%7Cmb%7CP%7Cmb%7C2S%7Can%7C5%2B%20%21S%3B%208%2B%20HCP%3B%209-13%20total%20points%7Cmb%7CP%7Cmb%7CP%7Cmb%7C3D%7Can%7C4%2B%20%21D%3B%205%2B%20%21H%3B%2011%2B%20HCP%3B%2012-17%20total%20points%7Cmb%7CP%7Cmb%7C3S%7Can%7C4%2B%20%21D%3B%208%2B%20HCP%3B%208-%20total%20points%7Cmb%7CP%7Cmb%7C4D%7Can%7C4%2B%20%21D%3B%205%2B%20%21H%3B%2011%2B%20HCP%3B%2012-17%20total%20points%7Cmb%7CP%7Cmb%7CP%7Cmb%7CP%7Cpc%7CS7%7Cpc%7CS2%7Cpc%7CSK%7Cpc%7CS6%7Cpc%7CSA%7Cpc%7CST%7Cpc%7CS9%7Cpc%7CS5%7Cpc%7CD6%7Cpc%7CD3%7Cpc%7CD4%7Cpc%7CDT%7Cpc%7CHT%7Cpc%7CH6%7Cpc%7CH4%7Cpc%7CHA%7Cpc%7CD9%7Cpc%7CD2%7Cpc%7CD8%7Cpc%7CDA%7Cpc%7CC8%7Cpc%7CCA%7Cpc%7CC2%7Cpc%7CC4%7Cpc%7CSQ%7Cpc%7CD5%7Cpc%7CS3%7Cpc%7CSJ%7Cpc%7CCK%7Cpc%7CC6%7Cpc%7CH5%7Cpc%7CCT%7Cpc%7CCQ%7Cpc%7CCJ%7Cpc%7CH7%7Cpc%7CC9%7Cpc%7CC3%7Cpc%7CH2%7Cpc%7CD7%7Cpc%7CS8%7Cpc%7CHJ%7Cpc%7CH9%7Cpc%7CDJ%7Cpc%7CH3%7Cpc%7CC5%7Cpc%7CDQ%7Cpc%7CDK%7Cpc%7CH8%7Cpc%7CHK%7Cpc%7CS4%7Cpc%7CC7%7Cpc%7CHQ%7C


Ok, now for the bad.

Imps this time, red versus white, Lho deals, three passes to you. You hold:

S: AQT84
H: J863
D: AK73
C: void

I open 1S, Lho bids 2H, partner doubles, Rho passes. Now what?

I bid 3D, passed out, costing 10 imps since I can make game in either spades or diamonds.


https://tinyurl.com/yk46r5l9

At the other table the auction began the same but, after N reopened with the double of 2S, S bid 3H, and they reached 4S.

Ok, it's really useful that Rho has Jxx in spades, but still, maybe I should have bid more strongly.
As I say, the bots never complain about my choices.

In find playing with the bots to be both enjoyable and useful.  Of course it is also sometimes frustrating.

It can be both fun and useful to go over hands. Here is one from Jim's session.

https://www.bridgebase.com/tools/handviewer.html?lin=st%7C%7Cpn%7CS,W,N,kenberg%7Cmd%7C3SQ642HQJT5DQCAKJ8,SKJ73HA873D83C973,S85HK964DJ5CQ6542,SAT9H2DAKT97642CT%7Csv%7Ce%7Crh%7C%7Cah%7CBoard%209%7Cmb%7CP%7Cmb%7C1D%7Cmb%7CD%7Cmb%7C1H%7Cmb%7CP%7Cmb%7C3D%7Cmb%7CP%7Cmb%7C3N%7Cmb%7CP%7Cmb%7C5D%7Cmb%7CP%7Cmb%7CP%7Cmb%7CP%7Cpc%7CCA%7Cpc%7CC3%7Cpc%7CC2%7Cpc%7CCT%7Cpc%7CC8%7Cpc%7CC7%7Cpc%7CCQ%7Cpc%7CD2%7Cpc%7CDA%7Cpc%7CDQ%7Cpc%7CD3%7Cpc%7CD5%7Cpc%7CDK%7Cpc%7CH5%7Cpc%7CD8%7Cpc%7CDJ%7Cpc%7CSA%7Cpc%7CS4%7Cpc%7CS3%7Cpc%7CS5%7Cpc%7CST%7Cpc%7CS2%7Cpc%7CS7%7Cpc%7CS8%7Cmc%7C12%7C


Ok, 6D is on ice. Long diamonds, 19 very well fitting high card points between us, and a well placed spade Q. I'm fine with 6D. Change partners majors so that the spades are A873 and the hearts are Aj73 and the slam gets iffy.


I gave the hand to the bots. They stopped in 3D! Ok, I can see that. Bots maybe don't fully appreciate eight card suits.

I just thought of the hand as worth saving.

Any comments?

Sample question. After my 3D, what would 3S mean? With two suits to worry about, spades and clubs here, often the agreement is that bidding one of those suits shows values in that suit.  If that were the case, and if it were understood, that would make it easy to avoid 3NT.

I think there are a fair number of questions that could arise from thhis hand.

Defense is tough for several reasons. A frequent reason is lack of agreement. Pat and I had a success today but we had not discussed it before so we were a bit lucky.

Here is my hand: 

AKJT7
T98
43
632

Rho opened 1NT, Lho raised to 3NT, I am on lead.

The problem is obvious. I want partner to throw the Q if she has it, and otherwise give count.

We have not discussed this. So what do I do?


I led the A, dummy came down with 654, partner played the 2. We are playing udca, that we have discussed. But still?

I decided that 2 was count and denies the Q, so declarer has Qxx and I need to switch, and, wonderfully, that was correct.


Just for the fun of it, I went to the literature. Old literature since I am old.




The first two books I tried were Bridge, a 600+ page collection of articles from1998, and Defensive Bridge Play, a shorter but still lengthy book by Kanntar, from 1974.

In Bridge: Mark Horton has an article on leads against NT. He says the A asks for attitude and the K for count. He doesn't say which asks for the drop of the Q but usually that goes with asking for countL

Kantar says that the lead of the A asks for the drop of the Q, and lacking the Q, give count. The lead of the K asks for attitude.

I have not looked elsewhere, but my feeling is that there are plenty of people who play it one way, and plenty of others who play it the other. I am pretty sure that Goren played that the A asks for the drop of the Q.

I have no strong opinion about which is right, or even which way could be considered  standard. Well, I just now looked up Bridge World Standard. They say the A asks for an honor drop or, lacking an honor, a count signal.

Incidentally, every blue moon or so someone opens a gambling 3NT. These conventions are off against a gambling 3NT.

My purpose with this note is to advertise the importance of agreements. I think that A asking for a drop or count is more or less common in my neck of the woods (near Baltimore) but it is far from universal.

The hands today were great.

May we all remember the wise words of a snowman

"Let's run and have some fun before I melt away"