[FrancesHinden]

The Tollemache is the English (and now Welsh as well) inter-county event, played as teams of 8 cross-imps. We've just had the qualification weekend, with 38 teams split into 9 groups, with the top two teams in each group making it to the final in February. The standard is, um, 'variable' from London who have 8 world-class players (and have won for the last 3 years) to places such as Cumbria or Dorset who struggle to find 8 competent people prepared to play; outside London most of the rest of the good players are scattered about in different counties.

Anyway, with all that in mind, you are playing for Surrey who usually expect to qualify. But you have to get some decisions right. Here are a few of the ones I thought were marginal. Not all spectacular, but lots of imps at stake.

i) vul against not, you deal
K10xx
Axx
9xx
AQ9

1C (1D) 2NT (P)
?

ii) Game all, you deal
Kxx
AKJx
Q109xx
x

1D P 2C
2D P 3D
?

2C = nat & forcing for 1 round, denies a 4-card major if not FG, prepared to play in 2NT or 3D opposite a minimum weak NT and in game opposite a maximum weak NT
2D = NF, minimum unbalanced
3D = NF, invitational

iii) Love all, partner deals
KJx
J10xxxx
x
AJx

Partner opens a weak NT (12-14)
Do you a. sign off in hearts unless he has 4, b. invite showing 6 hearts c. invite with 5 hearts c. drive game ?

iv)
K10x
Jxx
xxxx
KQx

game all, partner deals
1D P 1NT P
2C P ?

2C is not forcing
2D or 3D ?

and finally three higher-level decisions
v)
vul against not, partner deals
KJ10x
A9xx
A9x
xx

1H (2H) 3C (x)
4H (5C) ?

1H = 5 card majors, sound opening style
2H = spades & clubs
3C = 4-trump high-card raise to 3H or more
if you pass it would be forcing

vi)
vul against not, LHO deals
KQJxxx
xx
Qxxx
x

(1H) 2H (3S) ?
1H = 4 card majors, weak NT
2H = spades & a minor, suitable strength for the vul
3S = splinter

what is your plan?

vii)
vul against not, LHO deals
xxx
KQ109xx
xxxx
-

(1C) 2D (2NT) ?

1C = strong club, 16+ unbal, or 17+ bal
2D = natural, weak
2NT = 4 or 5 controls

what is your plan?

[pclayton]

i) vul against not, you deal
K10xx
Axx
9xx
AQ9

1C (1D) 2NT (P)
?

Pass. Intermediates are nice, but I have no trick source.

ii) Game all, you deal
Kxx
AKJx
Q109xx
x

1D P 2C
2D P 3D
?

2C = nat & forcing for 1 round, denies a 4-card major if not FG, prepared to play in 2NT or 3D opposite a minimum weak NT and in game opposite a maximum weak NT
2D = NF, minimum unbalanced
3D = NF, invitational

3N I guess and not surprised if it gets nipped a trick. I don't mess around with 3♥.

iii) Love all, partner deals
KJx
J10xxxx
x
AJx

Partner opens a weak NT (12-14)
Do you a. sign off in hearts unless he has 4, b. invite showing 6 hearts c. invite with 5 hearts c. drive game ?

I just invite with this. My suit sucks and pard can make the right decision.

iv)
K10x
Jxx
xxxx
KQx

game all, partner deals
1D P 1NT P
2C P ?

2C is not forcing
2D or 3D ?

Only 2♦. If I wanted to make a move here, I'd bid 2♠. Hard to construct a hand where pard can't take a call over 2♦ where we have anything.

and finally three higher-level decisions
v)
vul against not, partner deals
KJ10x
A9xx
A9x
xx

1H (2H) 3C (x)
4H (5C) ?

1H = 5 card majors, sound opening style
2H = spades & clubs
3C = 4-trump high-card raise to 3H or more
if you pass it would be forcing

Double is clear; stack in their side suit and aces. I don't want to invite 5♥ on this. Pard can still pull.

vi)
vul against not, LHO deals
KQJxxx
xx
Qxxx
x

(1H) 2H (3S) ?
1H = 4 card majors, weak NT
2H = spades & a minor, suitable strength for the vul
3S = splinter

what is your plan?

3N if that asks for pard's minor. I really want to know if we have a double fit before I commit this hand to 6 level. I am bidding at least 5♠

vii)
vul against not, LHO deals
xxx
KQ109xx
xxxx
-

(1C) 2D (2NT) ?

1C = strong club, 16+ unbal, or 17+ bal
2D = natural, weak
2NT = 4 or 5 controls

what is your plan?

3 or 4♥ which should both be fitted.

[han]

1) Pass unless you open light. Good news is that partner's diamond honors are well placed, bad news is that we have a minimal opening. Very close.

2) Another close one. The stiff club is bad, but I said I was minimal and this must be a maximal minimum. I'm going for it: 3NT. 3H is also possible, as 4H might play quite well.

3) Invite showing a 6-card suit.

4) 2D, this one seems easy.

5) With those spades I love to defend, Double.

6) Pfff, this is hard. 5S, I'll make them guess. I will pass 6H.

7) I have no agreement about 3H or 4H being a fit jump here, but I think it should be. However, I would prefer to keep quiet about my hearts and take away as much room as I dare. They haven't said anything about their distribution yet, they should have a hard time over my..... 5D. Scary at those colors, but partner saw them too and I do have a void.

[hrothgar]

FrancesHinden, on Nov 28 2005, 08:39 PM, said:

vii)
vul against not, LHO deals
xxx
KQ109xx
xxxx
-

(1C) 2D (2NT) ?

1C = strong club, 16+ unbal, or 17+ bal
2D = natural, weak
2NT = 4 or 5 controls

what is your plan?

1. 3NT - The hand doesn't warrant the bid, but 2NT is almost never right and I get seduced by Aces

2. 3H

Partner said that he was willing to play in game opposite a maximum strength weak NT. This hand is clearly strong enough. I'm willing to explore alternative strains.

3. I'm inviting and showing 6 Hearts.

4. 2♦

5. Double

6. Torn between 5♠ and 5♣. If I were on lead against a 6♥ contract, I'd bid 5♠. As is, I'd really like partner to bang the Ace of Clubs and then give me a club ruff so I'm going be "inventive".

7. 5♦ looks about right. (I think that advertizing the double fit will help them more than us)

[paulg]

1. 3NT - lure of the vulnerable game

2. 3♥ - looking for 3NT and hoping partner can bid 3♠ (some values) or that 4♦ will be safe.

3. I just bid game - just too difficult for partner to make a decision.

4. 2♠ ... must show some encouragement with double fit, and I can bid my fragment here.

5. Double - not quite good enough to pass.

6. 3NT - perhaps a naive attempt to discover partner's minor and I'll probably end up bidding 5♠ despite the vul

7. 3♥ - I am not trying to save, just stop them bidding slam. A slow approach may be more fruitful.

[han]

Somehow I suspected that Richard would support me on the hands where I jumped to the 5-level.

I'm slightly worried about the 5C bid Richard. Isn't partner going to bid 6S often expecting a double fit in the black suits? Are you sure that partner doesn't interpret 5C as an invitation to bid 6?

[Kalvan14]

• #1 : 3N. Good intermediates, partner should have 11 or so
  
• #2: 3N, again. Let oppos decide if they want to lead spades or hearts.
  
• #3: if I can show a diamonds shortness I will just invite. Otherwise, I bid 4H
  
• #4 : 2D. Double fit ok, but my invitations are better than this one.
  
• #5: pass. If partner has 2 clubs he will double. If he has 1 (or none) we are better in 5H
  
• #6: 5S. You will get there, sooner or later.
  
• #7: I would try to get smart, and bid 4C

[MickyB]

1. 3NT - invite seldom, accept often

2. Hmm, how many clubs is pard likely to have on this auction? 3♥, maybe pard will bid 3NT on ♠Qx

3. I'll invite

4. 2♦ - finally, an easy one!

5. Double

6. This one is evil. 5♠

7. 5♦ - it is probably their hand, they know nothing about their pards shape yet, I don't want to give them any more info.

[inquiry]

On our possible game going hands, I choose to bid be mostly aggressively (i. the exception). On potentially their hands, I choose to stay at the four level.

My bids.
i. Pass
ii. 3♥
iii. Force to 4♥
iv. 3♦
v. Forcing pass
vi. 4♠
vii. 4♦

My "logic" such as it is.

1. Pass, seems you are playing weak notrump from other post, you couldn't have less with a balanced hand than this, and you are 4333 to boot.

ii) I am going to make a game try. I am not sure, which game, however. 3NT? 5♦? I think 3♥ will get us on the right track. If partner bids 3NT, fine, if he bids 4♦ fine, if he bids 4♥, I will correct to 5♦.

iii) shoot me. this is imps. I force to 4♥. If we were vul, I would be even more positive of this choice.

iv) 3♦, My fourth diamond, my good clubs. Share the good news

v) When partner bid 4♥, he was sure he knew what he wanted to do over their 5♣ sac. IF he really wanted my advise, he would have bid 4♣, 3♠, 4♦.... something. I take his 4♥ as long hearts, scattered nothings elsewhere. My hand is good for offense or defense, so I am gong to buck the trend here and make a forcing pass. Especially since we are vul.

vi) If we defend, I don't want a ♦ lead, so 4♦ then a ♠ sac is out. RHO is likely VOID in spades, so I don't want partner leading a ♠ to look at dummy. I am not giving them a free shot by doubling 3♠ to share info below game level. So the choice is 4♠ or 5♠ or a lead directing, if not odd, 4♣ (and hope we don't play there down five). I think I will go wtih 4♠.

vii) I bid 4♦. Odd hand, East has four (two aces or ace and two kings--i have one king) or five (three kings, and an ace or two aces and a king), and WEST has 16+, and I have five hcp. So lets count. RHO has at least 8 and more likely 10+ hcp. I have 5hcp, and LHO has 16+. We can account for 31 of the hcp at least. Partner has advertised, at these colors, a good suit. If playing rule of down no more than two, he can take 6 tricks in his hand. This means, more than likely, a good seven card suit missing one honor. Something like KQJTxxx... So we can probably score 6♦ and a couple of club ruff in diamonds, and possibly a heart. For somewhere around 9 tricks. If we can get three club ruffs and one heart, 5♦ would be great spot. But I fear a trump-trump leads even if partner has three clubs. This means 5♦X is likely off two -500. Against that can they make slam? Not in a major (at least played by LHO). And if partner has the ♦Ace instead of king, probably not at all. I think I will bid just 4♦ and hope the club void, the ♥KQ, and partners possible ♦A is enough to stop them from bidding slam.

[joker_gib]

i) vul against not, you deal
K10xx
Axx
9xx
AQ9

1C (1D) 2NT (P)
?

Partner hasn't 5 clubs (He would have bid 2♦) so the problem with this hand is "Where will I find my tricks ?".
Partner also knows this is IMPS and bid 2NT. Ok I pass !

ii) Game all, you deal
Kxx
AKJx
Q109xx
x

1D P 2C
2D P 3D
?

I bid 3♥ showing my hand towards 3NT

iii) Love all, partner deals
KJx
J10xxxx
x
AJx

If I cannot show the ♦ shortness, I bid 4♥ cause it's impossible for partner to judge.

iv)
K10x
Jxx
xxxx
KQx

game all, partner deals
1D P 1NT P
2C P ?

Close but I'll go for 2♦. Auction is still open.

and finally three higher-level decisions
v)
vul against not, partner deals
KJ10x
A9xx
A9x
xx

1H (2H) 3C (x)
4H (5C) ?

Dbl automatic with 2 small ♣ and a bal hand

vi)
vul against not, LHO deals
KQJxxx
xx
Qxxx
x

(1H) 2H (3S) ?

4♠ for the moment. Let's see what happens.

vii)
vul against not, LHO deals
xxx
KQ109xx
xxxx
-

(1C) 2D (2NT) ?

3♥ : I have ♥ and likely ♦

[beatrix45]

Very nice set of problems, all of them so close I really wished I knew a bit more about my partner's bidding habits.

1. 3NT - I am a sucker for the vulnerability. More important, the hand has good intermediate spots, and much of the opponents' values are trapped in the overcaller's hand along with a diamond suit of known length. Partner is ready for a diamond lead and should enjoy the subsequent play.

2. Pass. 3NT may be the winning call, but I can't see where my tricks are coming from on this partial misfit deal.

3. b. invite showing 6H. This is what I have. Hoping for 10 H (option a.) is too unlikely.

4. 2♦. Not quite enough, imo.

5. 5♥. Spade card(s), if any, figure to be onside. Pard showed some extras, presumably in the red suits.

6. 5♠, the pressure bid. Lots of total tricks in this hand (I would ask if 3♠ could show a void). If 10 tricks is our limit (losing a club, a heart and a diamond), then they are likely to make 11 tricks in hearts (no way to find club ruff with pard on lead). FTL for us is probably 13-2-???, where ???=0 or 1. LOTT is probably 21 (11+10+??, where ?? is 0 or 1). Wish I knew who has the club ace.

7. 3♥ for the lead. Would like to go higher, but for the vul. Maybe this will throw sand in their gears.

[whereagles]

1) 3NT wtp
2) 3NT wtp
3) 3NT wtp eheh joking, I bid 4♥.
4) 2♦ wtp
5) Double wtp
6) 4♠. Who knows, maybe this will be enough to stop opps from bidding. Give them a chance to go wrong before commiting to 5♠.
7) 6♣. Even opposite a random 2♦ overcall, there's little chance we can buy this for 5♦ X. So why not try the 6 level right away, pinpointing the lead in the process.

[luke warm]

i) 3nt
ii) 3nt
iii) 4H
iv) 2D
v) i hate to pass, partner's clubs (if he has any) are doomed)... guess i'll bid 5H here, but double is possible
vi) 4S
vii) 6C

[Fluffy]

Too many problems!. It is very hard to read answers of that much problems in 1 post (at least to me).

1): This is as close as a decision might be, being a light opener myself I have to consider this a maximum and bid 3NT.

2): Pass, but if I have the slightiest doubt of partner bidding 3♦ as forcing I'll bid 3♥

3): Invitational with 6♥

4): 2♦, easy one at last.

5): Double

6): 4♠, they don't make a *****, we will ahve to make a decision at the 5 level. PArtner can hopefully take the right one. Althou 4♦ might be an intelligent bid. I don't feel inspired today.

7): 4♥, hopefully we make it.

[luis]

Hi very nice problems. Here are my answers:

1) 3NT Automatic.
2) 3♥ showing what I have.
3) I bid game in hearts
4) None!, I bid 2♠ showing values in spades and a good hand for the minors.
5) Double
6) I'm going to bid 4♠ then it depends
7) 5♣ lead-directing if pd leads I want t a club (unless they play 6♣) if I lead I can lead a heart. Who knows where this is going to end....

Luis

[FrancesHinden]

inquiry, on Nov 29 2005, 11:08 AM, said:

1. Pass, seems you are playing weak notrump from other post, you couldn't have less with a balanced hand than this, and you are 4333 to boot.

I don't (usually) play weak NT.
But not all my posts are from hands where my partnership was doing the relevant bidding.

[hrothgar]

There seems to be a lot of discussion surrounding different lead directing bids against hypothetical slams.

From what I can tell, I am in a distinct minority in advocating a lead directing bid on hand 6, but not on hand 7. While I considered some kind of lead directing ploy on 7, I ultimately rejected it on a number of grounds.

1. The opponents haven't discovered their fit... We have not idea who is going to be declaring what contract so it seem premature to help partner with his opening lead.

2. The opponents could easy declare a club or NT contract and our lead directing ploy could help the opponent's roll up the club suit.

3. 5♦ actually puts a lot of pressure on the opponents... The could easily rest in a 5♠ contract.

In comparison, on hand 6 the opponents have already found their fit...

[FrancesHinden]

Quote

i) vul against not, you deal
K10xx
Axx
9xx
AQ9

1C  (1D) 2NT (P)
?

Partner has AQx Kxx Q10x 10xxx, and 3NT is one off (2NT makes exactly).
At the table I thought "I know I shouldn't really raise because I'm minimum and partner probably thinks he has a club fit. But we're vulnerable, and I hate missing game..." -100

Quote

ii) Game all, you deal
Kxx
AKJx
Q109xx
x

1D   P   2C
2D   P   3D
?

Game is about as good as hand (i), but makes. Partner has
QJx
xxx
Axx
A109x

(note how poor it would be without partner's good club pips).
I was in a very small minority here and passed 3D, though at the table virtually no-one was in game. I thought if partner had good clubs we wouldn't have 9 tricks and if he had bad clubs we wouldn't have a robust club stop.

Quote

iii) Love all, partner deals
KJx
J10xxxx
x
AJx

Our opponents had this hand and drove game. Personally I would invite. To my surprise virtually no-one else was in game except our opponents, and we lost a load of imps. Partner will accept any invite holding (and you'll also make 3NT+3 because they won't lead diamonds)

AQxx
AQ
xxxx
Q10x

Quote

iv)
K10x
Jxx
xxxx
KQx

game all, partner deals
1D  P   1NT  P
2C  P    ?

2C is not forcing
2D or 3D ?

I bid just 2D as I didn't like the hand. But 3D gets you to an OK vul game which makes. Partner has the slightly strange hand

x
Q9xx
AKQx
AJxx

(no game isn't cold but you just about want to be in it)

Nobody bid game.