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IAC & Master Solvers Club / Re: 2024 JULY MSC
« on: May 13, 2024, 08:42:50 AM »
Hi Jock, I'll spout a bit on A, as you've started the discussion there:
A. 3 /3 . Continuations after 1 – 2 : BWS After a strong single minor raise, opener can: (1) show willingness to play in three of his minor by bidding it; (2) bid two notrump natural (but the bidding is forced to three of the minor); or (3) bid a new suit (after which the bidding may still stop at three of the agreed minor).
(1) and (2) are too weak for this hand. With (3), a common procedure (said the intermediate player of limited experience!) is to bid suits with stops up the line. If we’re thinking of a 3N contract, we’d like to know if partner has a heart stop. Without one we’re definitely heading for a diamond contract. If I rebid 2 , partner may bid 3 (with QJx(x), say) which means I can’t really get him to show his hearts as a 3 bid from me after 3 could be passed by an invite hand. However, if I skip over spades and bid 3 , partner is forced to show or deny a heart stop. That seems one route to check hearts if we’re thinking about 3N.
A re-bid of 3N usually shows 18/19 balanced, which fits the point count, but partner with 11 (his 2 could be GI) and 4c diamonds will pass this --- and we could be missing slam (AQxx, xxx, Qxxx, Kx) or it could be right (Ax, QJx, Qxxx, Qx). That’s too much of a lottery.
Do we really want to investigate 3N with this hand opposite a partner with 11+ and a 4-card diamond suit? I’d opt straightaway for a diamond contract. The only issue being which level. We’d like to know partner’s controls. Though splintering with an Ace is frowned on, that will get partner bidding his Aces and Kings, specifically here, showing/denying spade ace. That will help. So, let’s try 3 .
Without the spade ace partner could 3N (showing heart and club stop), which we could pass, or 4 /4 (showing KQ) which we can follow with RKC. With the spade ace partner will bid 3 . We can then RKC.
After 3 what would be RKC in clubs (I mean generally, rather than in BW)? 4 as minorwood? 4 as kickback RKC?
A. 3 /3 . Continuations after 1 – 2 : BWS After a strong single minor raise, opener can: (1) show willingness to play in three of his minor by bidding it; (2) bid two notrump natural (but the bidding is forced to three of the minor); or (3) bid a new suit (after which the bidding may still stop at three of the agreed minor).
(1) and (2) are too weak for this hand. With (3), a common procedure (said the intermediate player of limited experience!) is to bid suits with stops up the line. If we’re thinking of a 3N contract, we’d like to know if partner has a heart stop. Without one we’re definitely heading for a diamond contract. If I rebid 2 , partner may bid 3 (with QJx(x), say) which means I can’t really get him to show his hearts as a 3 bid from me after 3 could be passed by an invite hand. However, if I skip over spades and bid 3 , partner is forced to show or deny a heart stop. That seems one route to check hearts if we’re thinking about 3N.
A re-bid of 3N usually shows 18/19 balanced, which fits the point count, but partner with 11 (his 2 could be GI) and 4c diamonds will pass this --- and we could be missing slam (AQxx, xxx, Qxxx, Kx) or it could be right (Ax, QJx, Qxxx, Qx). That’s too much of a lottery.
Do we really want to investigate 3N with this hand opposite a partner with 11+ and a 4-card diamond suit? I’d opt straightaway for a diamond contract. The only issue being which level. We’d like to know partner’s controls. Though splintering with an Ace is frowned on, that will get partner bidding his Aces and Kings, specifically here, showing/denying spade ace. That will help. So, let’s try 3 .
Without the spade ace partner could 3N (showing heart and club stop), which we could pass, or 4 /4 (showing KQ) which we can follow with RKC. With the spade ace partner will bid 3 . We can then RKC.
After 3 what would be RKC in clubs (I mean generally, rather than in BW)? 4 as minorwood? 4 as kickback RKC?