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

Spade Suit A 3 2 Heart Suit K 4 Diamond Suit7 5 4 2 club suitK 10 6 3

The bidding:

West North East South
 1Heart Suit Pass  1NT
Pass 2club suit Pass ?

Problem 2

Pairs, All Vulnerable

Spade Suit 6 3 Heart Suit A Q 5 Diamond Suit A J 10 7 4 3 club suit K 6

The bidding:

West North East South
 1Diamond Suit
Pass 3Diamond Suit Pass ?

Problem 3

Pairs, South declarer

The bidding:

West North East South/You
 1NT
2Spade Suit 3club suit Pass 3NT
The End
Spade Suit 5 2 Heart Suit 8 3 Diamond Suit K J 4 club suit K Q 10 6 4 3
Spade Suit K 7 4 Heart Suit K Q 6 Diamond Suit A 6 5 3 2 club suit A 8

Lead: Spade SuitQ

Plan the play…

Solutions

Problem 1  Pairs, All Vulnerable Spade Suit A 3 2 Heart Suit K 4 Diamond Suit7 5 4 2 club suitK 10 6 3 The bidding:
West North East South
1Heart Suit Pass  1NT
Pass 2club suit Pass ?
2Spade Suitillogical. You cannot have spades after you answered 1NT over your partner’s 1Heart Suit 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).
Problem 2 Pairs, All Vulnerable Spade Suit6 3 Heart SuitA Q 5 Diamond SuitA J 10 7 4 3 club suitK 6 The bidding:
West North East South
 1Diamond Suit
Pass 3Diamond Suit Pass ?
3Heart Suit: 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 5Diamond Suit. That’s why you bid 3Heart Suit, 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 4Diamond Suito 5Diamond Suit.
Pairs, South declarer The bidding:
West North East South/You
 1NT
2Spade Suit 3club suit Pass 3NT
The End
Spade Suit 5 2 Heart Suit 8 3 Diamond Suit K J 4 club suit K Q 10 6 4 3
Spade Suit K 7 4 Heart Suit K Q 6 Diamond Suit A 6 5 3 2 club suit A 8
Lead: Spade SuitQ 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:

aaxx bis

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.