msjennifer

Kaitlyn S has given the correct answer just in one sentence.I have drawn attention of the juniors to the wonderful" From A to Z" so that they will take trouble to go through it and understand the principle behind it.

After ♥9 lead I assumed west would have a honnor to protect on the rest of the suits*, if that is the case I saw no gain from eliminating diamonds as I wanted her to lead a diamond if possible, even when she has ♠KQ. So I crossd to dummy in trumps to lead a spade to my ♠J, LHO won the ♠K and having no heart left, she was left with only bad options: returning a spade into my tenace, a diamond underlead or a club from the ace. She returned ♦6 after some though, this little hessitation gave me enough confidence to run it to ♦J and pitch my losing club on diamonds. +450 got every MP. I don't have the match record so I don't know where ♣Q was. I know West as 4234. We can all see that diamond return was not great, but people make mistakes, if you let them. *: There is certainly some degree of knowing your customer here.

Far too easy problem even for the intermediates.As labelled appropriately,a simple game."E" for elimination as described by George S Coffin in his masterpiece "A TO Z".

1♠ was a silly,ridiculous opening bid.It has created this unpleasant situation.To get out of trouble ,I shall bid just 3 ♥now.

Playing Super Precision, 1C(16plus any)-----2S(11-13 HCP 4441 type with black suit singleton.) 2NT (which singleton?)--3C(club singleton) 3S(spade suit enquiry)---4D(2 top honours ofAKQ) 4H(Heart suit enquiry)----5C(2 top honours) 7NT.--------Passed

Playing a modified Super Precision, 1♣---2♠ Black singleton 11-13 HCP ,4441 hand 2NT(which singleton?) ---3♣ club singleton 3♠(spade suit enquiry)----4♦two top honours. 4♥(heart suit enquiry)-------5♣ Two top honours. 7NT--------pass.

The way we bid this hand. 1♠ ----4C ( splinter in club suit,4441 hand ,7or less losers) 4NT(RKC)----5D (one key card) 5H (SQ ?)-----6C(SQ and HK) 6H(HQ?)-----6NT(Yes II have it) 7NT----Pass

Where and how do I see this movie.?All movies are interesting whether for novices,beginners,intermediates,advanced and/or experts for various reasons as they usually provide food for thought or reasonable comments.I have very purposely not included the genuine "World Class" and also the self called "World (Cl) Ass" for obvious reasons.

My interpretation of a simple suit overcall at one level is (to be understood as ) a hand with 5 plus named suit and 6 to 8 losers as played in that suit.The hand can have even upto 17 HCP ( provided you can't overcall one NT,playing 15/17 NT). With 5 or less losers in a single suiter hand and 16 to 18 HCP one first doubles and then bids ones suit over partners response.( keeping in mind that partner may have nothing useful and it could be just a forced bid) For double suited hands there are various conventions ( or gadgets) available e.g Roman double suited overcalls ,Michaels etc.Your given hand is ,therefore,fit for a simple 1Heart overcall and not a take-out double.

What kaitlyn says is correct.If,as is obvious ,the HA is with West then who holds the Diamonds is immaterial.It becomes an automatic double squeeze or a finesse on discovery.

O are your hearts really good for that? Secondly you will never get the chance as the bidding will go LHO 3 S pass pass?

I feel that only timid ones will Pass.If LHO bids 3 Spade ,will you have the guts then to make a TOD?The principle of fast arrival is applicable here too.A straight forward TOD is the obvious choice.

Club 4.I mark LHO with long diamonds on this sequence.

Even Precision system players will open 1D and rebid 2C.

No problem.1D ( yes as per theory of convenient rebid) and follow with an easy 2C.

No.I don't think this is a sure tricks problem.A small diamond from North and if easts 10 appears,finesse the Q and if it does win then there are no further problems.If the 10 has not appeared and the Q wins switch to clubs and hope they break 3/2.There is no fool proof play.

As Caitlynne has punted out,the bidding will go 1D-1H-1S-4H,Shutters unless both partners hands are visible as Soth is ceraijy going to bid 5H.

Although the hands fit well on seeing all 52 cards,it is very difficult ,if not impossible,to reach 4S on this hand after 1NT ,although weak ,is bid by LHO.Although 2S appears to be an underbid the hand certainly is not enough to bid 3S. North also has no justification to give a raise as South can have much less than what he actually has in a balancing position.A TOD followed by 2S ,if agreed by both partners ,may be playable to show a 2and1/2 spade hand.I have my doubts if any pair plays Astro in a fourth seat.Else if they do then 2D can easily show a spade suit plus a side minor suit .The pair using Astro this way may perhaps reach 4S with the given hands.

It appears that 2C was really a Garbage Stayman.2H is my bid here.

Good enough for Intermediates also.!Nice work Kaitlyn.

I would like to politely inform you that I know all the various holdings, on which aTOD over 3S are made, as described by you and some more too are known to us.The later bid by the takeout doubler make it clear.However,it is not possible to write a whole chapter on these TOD's in this column.I made the statement for hands which occur commonly and are not too unbalanced.Make the hand actually shown to be something like S-xx,H-AQJx,D-KJxx,C-KQx ,and similar which I was writing about.We already do have better bidding methods for other hands which are distributional in nature and which have no relation to the no. Of cards held in heart suit.,and those methods have been devised by us after going through hundreds ( literally) of hands from world championships which were held from 1962 onwards.Howver,it was really nice of you to have made the suggestion.

The idea is certainly good.But many details will have to be worked out before it can satisfy everyone.Suggestions ,as to what points are to be worked out ,may be invited from all and then an expert advisory can formulate a scheme agreeable to all.

Perhaps, East was playing for peanuts.With 8 losers he wants to compete at 4 level opposite a passed partner.Perhaps,he meant it as a penalty double as played perhaps in ancient days.

No point in telling funny stories.Doubling 3 S as a take out with only a 3 carded hearts ,iis what even beginners will not.Did the doubler want to only compete at 4 level in MINORS? And if he wanted to play a minor suit game he would bid 4NT.With a doubleton spade ,only 3 hearts and only 8 cards(4/4 )in minors, only a lunatic will make a TOD over 3S opposite a passed hand .partner.If you don't like the 4 heart bid it's only polite to say ,"I don't agree".I am confidently saying so as We NEVER make a TOD without 4 decent cards in hearts over 3 S level preempting bid by opponents ,which please note.

Four Hearts.Partner has promised hearts.