Gainesville Bridge Club

The Kibitzer is Shirley Wright: Grand Autumn

Jon Shuster

Shirley:  I watched this hand from Monday, September 24, 2007 at the Gainesville Bridge Club.  It looks like every competitor had trouble with it.  Abe Pallas and Dimitri Bourilkov were the only pair to reach 6S.

Board 17.  North Deals with neither side vulnerable.

North

S-KQxx

H-AKQxx

D-Kxxx

C-None

South

S-AJxxxx

H-x

D-AJx

C-Jxx

Here is a bidding sequence, presuming you play Exclusionary Keycard Blackwood, as recommended.

West                North               East                 South

-                       1H                   2C                   2S

P                      5C(1)               P                      5NT(1)

P                      7S

North’s 5C bid shows a void in the suit bid at the 5 level, and asks for keycards in the other three suits.  South’s 5NT bid is as follows (just as ordinary keycard{K of trump is the extra ace}, except discounting Clubs).  [5D=0/3   5H=1/4 5S=2 without the Q equivalent and 5NT shows 2 with the Q equivalent.]  The sixth Spade is the Q equivalent.  North knows the Q equivalent is a 6^th Spade and counts 6S, 3, 2D, and 2C ruffs for 13 easy tricks.

Q: Suppose the response over 5C was 5S (2 keycards), should North still bid seven?

A: Although you are a favorite to make seven, without the 6^th Spade, you should settle for six.  Even the strong field in Gainesville will have trouble reaching six, so it is unwise to risk a good board for a top.

Try playing opposite this South hand:  S-Axxxx H-xx D-Axx C-Qxx (a fine 2S bid over 2C) in seven.  You need either a 2-2 Spade Split or a 3-3 Heart split after the expected Diamond lead.  It is true that if you improved the hand in any one of the following ways, the hand is virtually cold for seven.  [change (a) S-xx to S-J10; or (b) Change H-xx to H-Jx;  or (c) Change D-xx to D-Qx or even D-Jx with a Diamond lead; or (d) change C-Qx to C-Ax.

Note that the opening lead should not be a Club on this hand.  Trump or Diamonds will be best.

Here is how Dimitri Bourilkov (North) and Abe Pallas (South) bid the hand.

West                Bourilkov        East                 Pallas

-                       1H                   2C                   2S

3C                   4NT                 P                      5H(1)

P                      6S

(1) Regular Blackwood, two Aces.

As Bourilkov explained, they were not using exclusionary, so his choices were 4C or 4NT.  With his opponents bidding so vigorously in Clubs, he assumed the Aces were the right ones, but for the exact considerations of safety, when 6S will be a great board, he did not go to seven.  This got them an absolute top.