From Bodmin Swiss Pairs - I

[mr1303]

[hv=pc=n&s=sakj63hakj752dakc&d=w&v=e&b=16&a=pp3c4cp4sp]133|200[/hv]

 

Swiss Pairs, 1st match, not the world's strongest opponents, competent but non-expert field.

 

Assume 4C showed both majors. What do you bid here? 4NT would be Roman Blackwood (Not RKCB). 5C would be a first round control in a slam try, but partner will bid 5S over that.

[mike777]

4nt if I can later ask for spade Q

[Zelandakh]

What would 6♣ mean for you?

[mr1303]

No published agreement :)

 

Sorry. I wouldn't know what I meant by 6C. A void and a grand try that has all first round controls I think I would mean, but that needs something extra to bid the grand.

[Zelandakh]

Something extra like queens in my suits perhaps?

[mr1303]

Yes, that seems reasonable. I'll post partner's hand later to see if you think he should bid the grand.

[rmnka447]

6 ♠. With equal holdings or shorter ♠s, I'd expect pard to bid ♥s.

[Zelandakh]

6 ♠. With equal holdings or shorter ♠s, I'd expect pard to bid ♥s.

Are you feeling happy when partner turns up with Qxxx/Qxx/xxx/xxx or Qxxx/Qx/xxxx/Axx?

[silvr bull]

I call 5♣, and I expect partner to be confused about what I have. After he bids 5♦ or 5♥ or 5♠, however, I will bid 6♠ and hopefully that will give the right message to partner: I am willing to force the hand to slam if partner holds nothing more than 4 small ♠, so having the "extras" of the ♠Q (or a 5th ♠) and the ♥Q (or a doubleton ♥) may be enough to push him to bid 7. I will be prepared to apologize if partner bids 7 holding ♠Qxxxx ♥Txx ♦QJxx ♣x and he cannot pick up the ♥ suit with no losers.

[mr1303]

Partner held 5 small spades and a doubleton heart, so 7S was cold. I raised directly to 7, but didn't like the auction.

[mr1303]

[hv=pc=n&n=s97542ht3d842ca63]133|100[/hv]

 

was the North hand.

[han]

That hand should never bid 5S over 5C, that would be absurd.

[rmnka447]

Are you feeling happy when partner turns up with Qxxx/Qxx/xxx/xxx or Qxxx/Qx/xxxx/Axx?

Sure, because my partner would take time to think about why I bid 6 missing both queens from suits I'm known to have. The initial 4 ♠ response promises absolutely nothing. Since my partner would know I'm not a player who wildly bids slams, my partner would conclude that I hold ♠ AKxxx or ♠ AKxxxx, no losers in the outside suits, and something like ♥ AKJxx. My partner would after some thought gently place the 7 ♠ bid on the table.