Kaitlyn S

Thank you all for your answers. In retrospect I think Winston's line is best, since I'm only picking up the short HQ in East, when means that West had four hearts and still led a spade. I believe the chances that West led a short spade and has the HQ probably is more than that, which makes Winston's line better. Still, that's quite a problem 1! I would normally have no problem saying except that if this book doesn't win the award, its author and publisher might be unhappy with people knowing that it was entered. I think you can safely assume it's a new book on declarer play, but I think there are several of those.

Playing 15-17 NT, opener could have an 18-count 2-4-4-3 or 3-4-4-2 where the doubleton contains a minor honor (such that you wouldn't count it enough to jump to 4H.) However, I think a 5-card diamond suit is to be expected.

I think Winston came up with that line on his own early in the thread. I had also missed it.

duplicate post :(

good point about the heart likely not being doubleton if West has spade length, but if West is 4-4 and chose spades (perhaps because of having the S-10 9) then the doubleton heart could drop

you can try 3-3 hearts by going up with DA, then later leading toward DQ if hearts aren't 3-3; they have to cede the ninth trick if they lead a spade from East and I don't think they can get five tricks unless everything is wrong

I read submissions for a particular award given to bridge authors so it could be anything. You all win. I made a bad assumption. I presumed that West led his own suit, so that there is no danger hand (I fly SK the the next time spades are led and either East started with AJx, or West had the ace, or they are 4-4.) Given that, I decided to maximize the chances for three heart tricks - cash CK, CA so I know I only need one extra trick, then HA, HK, H to HJ, picking up three heart tricks if hearts are 3-3, West has the HQ, East has a short HQ. Much to my dismay, West had S-1098 and H-Qxx and I found a way to go down in a contract that almost all of the readers of his book will make. I thought long and hard before making the losing choice - I realized that I was probably wrong if West wasn't leading his own suit. I considered that E-W have the H-109 so West could have just as easily lead a short heart suit. I finally decided that West rated to have a better lead than the short spade suit when North had shown at least one four-card major. Perhaps I should get it right for the wrong reason; would an author expect a reader of a not that hard bridge problem book to be able to figure out that spades probably aren't that dangerous and make the best play for three heart tricks? Still I'd probably go down at the table. Just curious - how badly do y'all think I played this hand? Is a short suit lead likely enough that I should give up my best play for three heart tricks to cater to it?

I am assuming the 10 is not conventional because in a later problem the opponents led the jack from KJTxx.

Sorry. It's IMPs. Corrected in the OP.

[hv=pc=n&s=sq3hk65daq64ckqt4&n=sk75haj74d85ca752&d=e&v=0&b=14&a=p1np2cp2dp3nppp]266|200[/hv] I've got to stop reading these ^&@*! bridge books! This was problem 1 in a declarer play book. I went down although I thought my line was reasonable. Down in problem ONE - the humiliation! I'd like to see how bad my play was. Playing IMPs, West leads the ten of spades. Plan your play.

Thank you. I have given those as options. I didn't think anybody did that against suit contracts but I've been out of tournament bridge for over a decade.

Hi - I put this here because I read it in a bridge book that is being considered for an award. The author led the ace of clubs, stating that the diamond holding under dummy's expected long strong suit warranted an attacking lead. In his example hand, dummy had a singleton spade and partner had the ♣ KQJ. I couldn't see this as being good advice but I thought I might be out of touch with modern reality, so I posted the hand to see what others thought. At the time I posted this, there were 10 votes for my favored low spade lead and none for anything else. I find TheBadger's analysis excellent.

[hv=pc=n&s=sqt53h742dkt7ca53&d=w&v=0&b=8&a=1dp1hp3hp4hppp]133|200[/hv] Matchpoints. Your lead?

Hi, assume you lead "standard", such that you would lead the king from KQJx. What do you lead from AKxx against a suit contract?

Many pairs raise the 4th suit with 4+ cards if it's a major (usually hearts) because it's easy for the heart fit to get lost otherwise when opener is 1-4-4-4 (1D-1S-2C-2H...) but will "raise" the minor to show no good bid in a minor Such as 1H-1S-2C-2D-3D on S-5 H-AQ643 D-742 C-KQJ5, which allows the other bids to show something (2H shows six, 3C shows 5, 2NT shows a stopper, etc.) and on your examples, I make the "obvious" bids 2S, 2H, 3H, 3C.

Those are reasonable ranges opposite a 1-level overcall which could be pretty ilght, but opposite a takeout double which should show an opening hand (albeit counting shortness) ? You can't convince me to bid less than game with 14 points when partner makes a takeout double. And while I could see a possible set if opener has 5 of the outstanding 8 diamonds, a good diamond lead, and we can't rattle off 9 winners, partner isn't going to raise 2NT on many hands on which 3NT is a good bet. I bid 3NT although at these colors I have some admiration for those that want to defend 1Dx.

The OP mentioned ACOL. Does that make any difference in defensive bidding? Anyway, I double intending to correct to clubs. If partner passes, I'd rather play 3C than 2NT. If partner bids on, we can still reach 3NT.

5432 might be a typical holding for a Marty Bergen weak two bid. Which reminds me of a funny story. Marty opened 2S and later his partner had an opportunity to double a 3S cuebid with ♠Ax but didn't. It was pointed out that Marty gets off to the killing lead if 3S had been doubled. Marty's partner replied that he wasn't sure he could set 3S.

Inverted minors are good - if you play them, stick with them. If your partner has only the ♠K and the ♣K, you have nine tricks unless partner has only a doubleton spade. This isn't likely as this would give silent opponent who hold only two clubs and nine spades (albeit crummy ones.) Even if partner has only the king-doubleton of spades, you still have a 50-50 shot on a spade lead by winning in dummy and leading toward the ♦K. Maybe even better since West didn't overcall or make a takeout double with short clubs, so East should be favored to hold the ♦A. Of course, West might get cute and hold up with the ♦A thinking he's going to surprise you later when you lead to your supposed ♦Q. The only thing that might surprise him is if his partner stays calm (as a good partner should) after the hand. However, playing Standard American, I would never pass with two kings as the 1C opener could have as much as 21 points and really needs to get another turn when I have 6 points. You're welcome!

I specified IMPs. You should be more willing to jump to 3NT vulnerable because of IMP odds. Say you bid 3NT and your counterpart bids 2NT and plays there. Vulnerable, if you make it, you get 600 and your counterpart got 150, in any event you pick up 10 IMPs. If you went down you'll lose 6 IMPs. Of course, if not even 2NT makes, you'll only lose 3 IMPs for the extra undertrick. A double is unlikely since the person on lead couldn't overcall your 1C opening. Those are some pretty good odds for the blast - even if game is less than 50-50 opposite a 6-count, the IMP odds are good enough to try for it. But I specified that nobody is vulnerable. So you only get 400 against 150 giving you 6 IMPs. Let's say that you go off 1, giving up 50 against your opponents' 120 at the other table. You lose 5 IMPs. You're getting 6 to 5 odds to try to make the game which would be against the odds if partner wouldn't have raised 2NT to game. Again, if you were vulnerable, you'd be getting 10 to 6 odds. Which seems like the better time to blast a game at IMPS?

Answers: (more advanced material in blue) 1. [hv=pc=n&s=sak64haq93d54cj72&d=s&v=0&b=11&a=1cp2cp?]133|200[/hv] Hint: Do you have a game? Do you have a better fit than clubs? Answer: Partner has 6-10 points and you have 14. You do not have a game. Partner rates to have five clubs so you have an eight-card fit there. Partner shouldn't have a four-card major so you have no major suit fit. A club partscore is your best contract and you should pass. What about 2NT? Two minimum hands should stay below 2NT, and as we shall see, 2NT is a game try. In fact, anything you bid here would be a try for game. Some pairs, by partnership agreement, say the 3C is preemptive trying to make it harder for the opponents to come in. Undiscussed, I wouldn't assume partner plays this. In any event, you wouldn't want to bid more clubs holding only three clubs even if you were sure it was signoff. Since you know there is no game, you pass. 2. [hv=pc=n&s=sq65haj73daj4caq5&d=s&v=0&b=11&a=1cp2cp?]133|200[/hv] Hint: Do you have a game? What is your most likely game if you do? Answer: If partner has a decent 2C response, 3NT is a good bet. Invite game by bidding 2NT. There is no reason to bid the hearts as notrump is the game you are trying for and partner can't have four hearts. You are showing a balanced 18-19 point hand. You don't bid 3NT since you don't really want to be in game opposite 6 points. If partner bids 3C over 2NT, partner is suggesting that there is no game and that clubs is the better partscore, and you would respect his decision and pass. 3. [hv=pc=n&s=saqhqt8dk6caqj643&d=s&v=0&b=11&a=1cp2cp?]133|200[/hv] Hint: Do you have a game? What is your most likely game if you do? Answer: On this hand, with an excellent source of tricks, you want to be in game opposite 6 points and the game I want to be in is 3NT. (18 HCP plus 2 for length suggest that you want to be in game opposite any response.) The suggested call is 3NT. 4. [hv=pc=n&s=s3hak64dq5cakj762&d=s&v=0&b=11&a=1cp2cp?]133|200[/hv] What is the best way to help partner determine the best contract? Answer: Here you want to be in 3NT if partner has values in spades and diamonds, but in clubs otherwise. Even though partner doesn't have four hearts, you want to bid 2H here. (2H is forcing; there is no reason to bid 3H which some pairs might play as a splinter bid showing a singleton or void in hearts.) If you held a decent hand with 5 hearts and 6 clubs, you would intend to bid the hearts again - but on this hand your intention in bidding hearts is to show a shapely hand that needs help in spades and diamonds to consider 3NT. Despite the fact that you wish to drive to game if partner has those stoppers, partner is going to treat your 2H bid as a game try, and will bid 2NT or 3C with a minimum 2C bid. You'll raise 2NT to 3NT. I think this hand is worth another move over 3C as you make 5C opposite an ace (or the ♦K) and a doubleton heart.

Problem set 24 is available. Problem set 24

Disclaimer: I almost labelled this problem set a beginner's set but I have seen many Advanced players in the Main Bridge Club show a lack of knowledge of this issue, so I promoted it to Beginner/Novice/Intermediate. Hi - these problems should be very easy for experienced players but an B/I/N player needs to think about the right things in an auction. If you get them wrong, don't feel too bad as long as you understand the rationale for the answers. I'll provide the answers later but I'll put a hint as a spoiler. Try to solve the problem without the spoiler. Also, let me know if you would be interested in seeing more of these from time to time. (Material in blue might be advanced or confusing for some beginners and novices.) Assume you are playing Standard American (a natural system with 15-17 1NT openings and 5-card majors), IMPS, and nobody is vulnerable. Let's look at an auction. What is North saying? [hv=d=s&v=0&b=11&a=1cp2c]133|100[/hv] If you play a convention called inverted minors with all your partners, this problem set is not for you, but you should be aware that if your 1C opening bid is overcalled, partner's 2C bid is no longer "inverted"; it reverts back to its standard meaning although since partner's 1NT bid now implies a stopper in the overcalled suit, partner will now bid 2C on some hands with only four clubs that would have bid 1NT if the overcall didn't happen. The SAYC system booklet implies that this auction shows a minimum responding hand (6-10) with five clubs. That is the standard meaning for a raise to 2C. North could have responded 1H or 1S with a four-card or longer major (a higher priority) so North should not have a four-card major. North can also respond 1NT with a weak hand but with five clubs, it is preferable to show support to allow partner to compete if the opponents get active. While the 2C raise tends to show five, there are times when 1NT is unpalatable and you might choose 2C. [hv=pc=n&s=s762h864d543cakj6&d=n&v=0&b=1&a=1cp]133|200[/hv] The "textbook" bid may be 1NT but if notrump is going to be played by our side, I would greatly prefer that partner declares as I have no stoppers. Since partner's clubs are weak, it's not likely that bidding 2C will cause partner to overcompete in clubs. [hv=pc=n&s=s652h74da643cqj75]133|100[/hv] 1NT seems wrong with no stoppers in the majors and one of the majors being a small doubleton. You could respond 1D, but what do you do when partner bids 1H? 2C now sounds like you have a lot of cards in the minors. 1NT isn't advisable with no stopper in the only unbid suit. You might not get that lucky - West might overcall a major and East might raise. Do you want to compete to 3C now? You are extremely likely to have more clubs as a partnership than diamonds. I would raise to 2C on this hand also. These hands are exceptions - the vast majority of the time, the raise to 2C without competition will show five cards. Now, let's come back to opener. You opened 1C and your partner raised to 2C. What do you do now? 1. [hv=pc=n&s=sak64haq93d54cj72&d=s&v=0&b=11&a=1cp2cp?]133|200[/hv] 2. [hv=pc=n&s=sq65haj73daj4caq5&d=s&v=0&b=11&a=1cp2cp?]133|200[/hv] 3. [hv=pc=n&s=saqhqt8dk6caqj643&d=s&v=0&b=11&a=1cp2cp?]133|200[/hv] 4. [hv=pc=n&s=s3hak64dq5cakj762&d=s&v=0&b=11&a=1cp2cp?]133|200[/hv]

Answers: 1. [hv=pc=n&w=skq5ha643djt97c62&d=n&v=0&b=1&a=1cp1hp3cp6nppp]133|200[/hv] Hint: You have one sure trick. What is your best chance for a second trick? Answer: As long as you get in with your ♥A, you will have a spade trick ready to take if you lead the ♠K on opening lead, and that is the recommended lead. This seems like a pretty certain set - so why didn't my auction have West doubling 6NT? Two reasons. First, North, with a void in hearts, may think you're doubling on the ♥AK and run to 7C, and a successful ruffing finesse against your ♥A may be all he needs to bring it home. (South, the dummy in clubs, will lead high hearts and North will discard until you play your ace, making dummy's heart suit high.) Second, you have a lot of high cards on this auction so it's likely the opponents have extra distribution (i.e. a 7-card club suit.) When you lead your ♠K and South wins the ♠A and plays seven rounds of clubs, you are in big trouble if South has four diamonds and partner has no help. No other lead would have helped though, so the ♠K lead virtually sets the contract whenever it can be set. 2. [hv=pc=n&w=sjt97haj65d3c8542&d=s&v=0&b=11&a=1np4hp4sp4np5hp6sppp]133|200|[/hv] 4H was a transfer to spades; 4NT was ace-asking; 5H showed two. Hint: Do you realize you have a trump trick? Answer: You should have a trump trick and the auction sounds like there is no heart void so lead the ♥A. If you fail to lead it, you may see declarer discard dummy's hearts on good clubs in his hand and you could get only one trick. 3. [hv=pc=n&w=st95hkj763d62c873&d=s&v=0&b=11&a=1np6nppp]133|200[/hv] Hint: Are you likely to score any length tricks with low cards? Answer: Against 1NT-3NT, you would lead fourth from your longest and strongest, hoping that partner has some help in hearts to let you use your little hearts to take tricks. Against 6NT, you are unlikely to score any tricks with little hearts. Declarer and dummy are likely balanced and declarer may have to try to win heart tricks himself to make 6NT, and you may score your ♥K and/or ♥J as long as you don't lead hearts yourself. Make declarer play for twelve tricks while giving him nothing. The ♠10 appears to be the safest lead, unlikely to give declarer anything that he can't get himself. The diamond and club leads have some chance of finding partner's queen for declarer - a queen that may take a trick on defense if declarer is left to his own devices. 4. [hv=pc=n&w=sjth7653dk64c8742&d=n&v=0&b=1&a=1cp1hp3cp3hp4cp6nppp]133|200[/hv] Hint: What is likely to happen if you lead passively? Answer: On the last hand, with declarer expected to have balanced hands, you defended passively and hoped declarer would give the defense two tricks. Let's think about declarer's plan on this hand. Declarer is likely to try to take many club tricks and many heart tricks. If declarer can do that without losing the lead, he should have bid seven. If declarer has to lose two tricks in those suits, it makes little difference what you lead. However, if declarer has to give up the lead exactly once to establish his club and heart winners, then declarer will have twelve tricks for the taking once he gives up that trick, and the defense had better have set up a second winner when the defense gets in that one time. The best chance to set up a second winner is to hope partner has the ♦Q and lead a diamond. Partner could have the ♠KQ instead but it's a lot more likely that partner has one needed card than two. The recommended lead is the ♦4. 5. [hv=pc=n&w=sk53ht987dt743c86&d=n&v=0&b=1&a=1cp1sp2sp4np5dd6sppp]133|200[/hv] Hint: Did partner offer any help? Answer: As JLilly pointed out, partner suggested a diamond lead. If I held the ♥KQJ, I might ignore his suggestion (figuring that he was just showing me where his only card was) but here I have no reason not to respect his suggestion. Lead a diamond. 6. [hv=pc=n&w=sqj3h764d764c9532&d=n&v=0&b=1&a=1cp1sp2sp4np5dp6sppp]133|200[/hv] Hint: Did partner offer any help? Could he have? Answer: Here, we have no clue except for the fact that partner did not suggest a diamond lead, making the heart lead a better choice since there is some chance that partner would have suggested a heart lead given the opportunity. I chose hearts rather than clubs because dummy may have a club suit that declarer will need to establish (based on the bidding.)

Lead problem set 1 is available. Lead problems 1