Bidding and card Play Problems from the 2016 Open and Ladies Italian Teams Championships Second Bulletin Saturday May 14 2016 Problem 1 

Pairs, All Vulnerable

A 3 2  K 4 7 5 4 2 K 10 6 3

The bidding:

West	North	East	South
	1	Pass	1NT
Pass	2	Pass	?

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Problem 2

Pairs, All Vulnerable

6 3  A Q 5  A J 10 7 4 3  K 6

The bidding:

West	North	East	South
			1
Pass	3	Pass	?

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Problem 3

Pairs, South declarer

The bidding:

West	North	East	South/You
			1NT
2	3	Pass	3NT
The End

5 2 8 3 K J 4 K Q 10 6 4 3

K 7 4 K Q 6 A 6 5 3 2 A 8

Lead: Q

Plan the play…

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Solutions

Problem 1  Pairs, All Vulnerable A 3 2  K 4 7 5 4 2 K 10 6 3 The bidding:

West	North	East	South
	1	Pass	1NT
Pass	2	Pass	?

2illogical. You cannot have spades after you answered 1NT over your partner’s 1 opening bid on your first turn . Therefore, in this sequence you are describing a hand not good to repeat NT and with a very good fit in clubs (you have all your points in your partner’s suits and the ace in his short suit).

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Problem 2 Pairs, All Vulnerable 6 3 A Q 5 A J 10 7 4 3 K 6 The bidding:

West	North	East	South
			1
Pass	3	Pass	?

3: you cant pass with your hand (14 very nice points). You do not know if the best game is 3NT (you dont have a spade stopper) or 5. That’s why you bid 3, your partner has denied hearts, so you dont risk a support bid … If your partner has a spade stopper he will say 3NT, and if he doesn’t you will play 4o 5.

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Pairs, South declarer The bidding:

West	North	East	South/You
			1NT
2	3	Pass	3NT
The End

5 2 8 3 K J 4 K Q 10 6 4 3

K 7 4 K Q 6 A 6 5 3 2 A 8

Lead: Q Plan the play…

In this hand, it is easy to risk being distracted, take immediately, play the ace of clubs and play clubs. With the hand below, however, you will end up down:

There are two ways to make nine tricks. The first is to make: 1 spade, 2 diamonds and 6 clubs. The second is to make: 1 spade, 5 diamonds and 3 clubs. You should try both. But you have to make 5 diamond tricks, you must probably finesse dummy’s valet (play the ace and the king while you have communication with clubs, to play for the Qx is against the chances). Therefore, win the first trick, play a club to dummy’s king and repeat another club to the ace. If the suit is OK, go back to dummy with the king of diamonds and run the club suit. In this hand, however, West discards a heart in the second round of clubs. Therefore, you have to play a diamond to dummy’s jack, and continue with the ace and claim your nine tricks. This is a case in which to collect first the honor of the short side (the ace of clubs) does not work.