AN INTERESTING HAND AT DUPLICATE

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 36, 11 August 1934, Page 19

AN INTERESTING HAND AT DUPLICATE

iln a duplicate match between' two teams, played recently; the'hand given | below occasioned much interest, at one table a'grand slam-in no-trumps being missed, while at the other table a small slam in no-trumps was bid and made. Neither side played the hand in a,suit,_ which was a great pity, as a grand slam would have developed, during the bidding. The hand was as follows.-^r- * .1.9.3.3.2. V •'•'■• . • ....-•■■ 4 j0.7.1. * 5.4.3. •. . ..■■•• ♦ Al°- . I North. I ♦ K-Q-o'4----4 9.5.2. '. § i ♦ A.K.J. .^J.5.7.2. South.. ♦ t.3. :.. •'■ ' if 10.9.G.5.2. 4 Q. 6.5.3. Dealer, East. Gaino all. . ' ; . In Room Noll, East opened the1 bidding with 3 no-trumps, his partner responded with 5 uo-trumps, and East then bid, 7 no-trumps. South left the three of hearts (showing not more than live.cards in the suit, assuming the lead to be the fourth highest of his longest suit). East took the trick dummy. Instead of then leading out1 four rounds of clubs, thus compelling discards from his opponents, East elected to:'finesse tho Knayo of diambnds. •'• The finesse failed, and with considerably more than S honour-tricks in the combined* hands the contract was lost. Had-East forced discards on the club suit, and then led three rounds of spades (his only'hope of a grand slam) South wouldhavc had to make three• discards from"- his hand, finally uncovering either the, hearts' or the diamonds, this giving EastUiis'contraet. ' . " . lirßoom No. 2 'approach-forcing, tactics were used (allegedly), the ■ final contract being, 6 no-trumps,' which nvas successfully made. The " bidding 'went: . East. ~. , West. . ■ 4 XT. 5 X.T. ; -CM. .• • ; .-.:■;' ,' .■'■■ ■■' As will be .seen,, the above bidding did not follow the approach-forcing system. Tho.opening bid of two clubs was certainly an approach-forcing;bid, but after that, with three biddable suits in the combined hands, the club suit was the only ono mentioned, and a grand slam in clubs, a lay-down after the first two rounds of trumps, was badly missed. \ West really had a wonder-

ful opportunity, with the sort of. hand one dreams of holding, but practically never gets, when-his partner opens wjth a forcing bid. He had a sound heart .response, good, support for his partner'a club bid, and, more important st^ill, more than:2l honour-tricks in his hand,, this last holding telling him that there were at least 8 honour-tricks 'in the combined hands of the two.partners., It is definitely sot out, under the .'approach, forcing system, that'with very few ex- s ccptions all small and grand slam bida should-be made at the best suit bid,,be it even a minor suit,,rather than at no■trutaip. With adequate' trump support a four-card-suit slam bid should be preferred to a no-trump slam bid by tl|» partner of the opening bidder, especially if he has ruffing values in his haiut. At d suit bid extra tricky are available when dummy .has ruffing tricks (which, are absent in a no-trump contract).- . An opening bid is always made in a suit if possible, ■ a no-trump opening bid denying a biddable suit in the/hand. In tho case of. slam bidding, where to be successful thejexehange of, information must be reliable, a no-trump opening bid hy a player who holds ..a biddable suit gives wrong information, usually with unhappy results. There ara still many players who cling stubbornly to the old idea that no-trumps is a much-to-be-desired opening bid. They; don't seem to realise tnat they aro.shutting out information from their, partners, whereas ; the , approach-fprcing method of "bidding, gives the ; partner every chance of saying just .what, his; hand is worth; Tho following is.suggested as the bidding on the hand illustrated, the partners arriving at a ..suit grand slam bid without any difficulty. ,'.'• ■ Kast. ' West. . . -* :. ■ >•■ ■■ .'■ *■*■ ■ ' :•■ : 3* : ; i'JI, ..■■■■ 4 X.T. SX;T. • ' i . ' 6*. ' ' T* :■ :' "■•,■■-■ ■ ■ West is .able,to show by his .bidding a heart suit, support in his partner's club suit, and later, a* four no-trump bid (showing 2£ honour-tricks at least, after a forcing two-bid by his partner).It is to bo noiied that West's support in the club suit promises at lea^t four clubs (as East has Ace, King, Queen himself), therefore East, is ;justified in rebidding the suitl After West's four no-trump bid, his, partner knows that! ther6 are more than eight honour-tricks in the two hands, and, provided: thetrumps fall,. there ■.■must,1 ba a- grand1 slam. . , • ' ,