mich-b

5♣ is just 5-4 , 6♣ is 5-5 (or if you think thats impossible than a very strong 4 card suit - AKQx). Both accepting the invitation.

1♥ -2♣ 2♦- 2♥ 3♣ - 3♥ 3♠ - 4♣ ... 2♣ - I think A+AK and some nice spots is good enough for 2/1 GF. 2♥ - Hx in ♥, no other good bid (no 4♦, no ♠ stopper) 3♥ - ♥A 4♣ - implying good trumps

Any bid (5♣,5♦) is accepting the invitation, and showing shape naturally in case a suit slam is better than 6NT. A jump to 6♦ would show strong preference for playing in that suit , asking pd not to convert to 6NT. Having said that , we play that if the 4NT bidder , bids 5NT over that (5m) we can pass and play there. If you dont think slam is on , you just Pass 4NT.

I think the South hand is a very normal 2♠ raise. 3♠ is a serious overbid. Some posters have said that it could be a good game , and unlucky to go down. This is only because North is probably worth a bid over South's 2♠. My point : 2♠ is a seriously good hand, not just "I happen to have 4 card support".

Double with South (Good defense, good offense , ♠ suit). 4♠ with North (good ♠ suit, some shape,4♠ over 4♥ often right). For me both calls are obvious.

I don't think this is standard , and I dont think this is sensible. If you decide to bid 3♠ , and partner doesnt raise, do you think you will make 10 tricks? And if not, why rebid 4♠? to get a minus score? or preempt against opps who both already passed, and don't seem keen on getting into the auction? I would suggest that a very minimum with 7♠ rebids 2♠ , and slightly better hands (14 hcp, or otherwise good) rebid 3♠. 1♠ - 1NT - 4♠ , for me shows a "3♠ rebid hand" with a 7th ♠.

I think North's hand is not good enough for 2♣. I would open 1♦ planning to rebid 3NT. I don't think I would get to 5♦ (which is a poor contract anyway), unless EW bid ♠s (which is quite likely to happen after a 1♦ opening).

Agree with cRi cRi.

I would expect more shape for 5♥ , perhaps: ♠xx ♥Qxxxx ♦Qxxxx ♣x 5m from west should be fit showing, with values in the suit bid, and generally good hand. But , for us, only because West is a passed hand. If he wasn't PH we think he is allowed to suggest playing in his 7 or 8 card suit.

About 85% of the blame to South , who had an obvious 4♥ bid. About 15% of the blame to North , who would to better IMO to bid 3♥, showing 6+♥ and GF, even though sometimes there would be no makeable game.

I don't agree with 5♥ (too balanced), I would double. As East after the double I would try 5♣ - I usually think that void in their suits suggests bidding one more. And, I think East should not have raised himself to 6♥. West might have stretched to bid 5♥, or bid it as a save.

1♦ - 2♣ - 2♥ - P 3♦ - P - 3♥ Forcing on not? (2♥ was std , about 10+, and forcing for 1 round)

I think that South could have done better in the bidding, by bidding 4♦ showing he holds BOTH majors. Then they surely would not get this defense wrong, and would be better placed for 5 level decisions.

I think a single 128 boards match is better. The convertion from IMPs to VP is useful in a long round robin with a large variance of strength between the teams (like the European championship itself), and is needed to prevent large wins against the weaker teams deciding the winners. This is not needed when 2 teams are competing - every IMP won there was won against the same quality of opps, and should count the same, independant of how many IMPs were won or lost in that segment. For example if a team is winning a segment in the playoffs by 50 IMPs , and scores 10 more, I think they should count fully, unlike if this happens in a match against weak opps, which is part of a round robin.

2♠ is GF.

1♠ - I think Passing is a mistake.

I think the defense can solve this hand following this logic : 1. Trick 2 - North plays the ♥K (not the Ace), and South signals count (Since attitude has become irrelevant when the King holds). 2. Trick 3 - if North is not sure which minor he should play now , he can cash the ♥A (Which he now knows is cashing), and South uses his two remaining ♥ spots to show suit preference between ♣ and ♦. In the given hand , South would play ♥4 (assuming std count) trick 2, and ♥8 (asking for ♦) trick 3. Hope this answers your question...

I would bid a non-forcing 3♣. 2♠ (for some people 2♥) would show a stronger hand with ♣s. Normally , I would have a 6 card suit for 3♣, but the strong suit and the lead directing value make me choose 3♣. I dont like PASS (too easy to be thrown out of the auction completely, miss the right lead, a save , or even a game when pd a minimum 4144), And Double will not usually get me anywhere, since I am not really happy defending 2M or even 3M).

4♥ was normal , 5♥ was normal , and since that is the case, and my bidding implies that my hand looks like what I actually have , I will Pass now (suggesting 6♥ , a Dbl would discourage that) , and leave the decision to partner. It looks like he is now in a better position than me to evaluate our combined prospects in defense and/or offense.

1♣ wtp. Would not have been wtp if my minors were 4-5 (open 1♦ then probably).

2NT means that partner thinks we might be making 3NT if my hand is maximum. Since my hand is maximum (for some , more than maximum :) ) I will accept, though maybe 3♥ is better than direct 3NT , since we might belong in 4♥.

I thought it is standard that a 3♣ rebid by the doubler is very strong (like an Acol 2 opening) but non forcing. To force the doubler needs to cuebid , than bid a new suit.

1st round : Double - no other choice. 2nd round : The choice is between 2♦ and 4♦. 4♦ is more informative (shows at once the ♠ support, ♦ shortage and slam interest) , but I feel my hand is too powerful , and he will often sign off after 4♦ when slam is makeable. So I think I will try to find out more , by going slowly with 2♦.

I strongly believe that in this sequence North should bid game with virtually any hand with 5 trumps.

I don't like West's 3NT bid. It seems that whenever the opener has 5-4 in the minors , there will be good slam chances (depending on controls) , and if opener is only 4-4 like here (rare for sure) he will always have a singleton, which also gives good play for slam. This is IMPs , and 5♣ looks safe, so I think West should have done (much) more. If some of you think that East should not have opened this hand , this only implies that West could expect a better hand, so the slam prospects are even better.