[skjaeran]

Scoring: IMP

Our bidding:
1NT - 2♣
2♦ - 3♦
3♥ - 3♠
4♦ - 5♦

---

Stayman followed by a natural GF 3♦, stopper showing bids etc. Luckily we won 12 IMPs for our +640, when opps rested in 3NT-1 at the other table. But you'd feel much better getting to slam.

[han]

West has a very good fit and a maximum. Still, when west denies a club stopper (as I understand it) perhaps east is worth more than just signing off. Maybe I'd try 4H and if partner can cuebid 4S then I'd bid 5C to see if partner can kick it in.

It would be easier to give an honest opinion if you just post one of the hands.

[jdonn]

Agree east should not just sign off opposite no club stopper.

[Cascade]

Not sure exactly what your agreements and style are but on similar auctions we play 4♦ can be passed.

Possibly opener can bid 5♦ based on the extra length. However when responder raises to 5♦ this is almost certainly based on a singleton and west can consider raising.

Maybe responder should make a cue-bid on the way to 5♦.

We start with a natural 1♦ opening this is our auction.

1♦ 2♠ fit jump
2NT* 3♦** *15-17 no shortage GF ** Stiff club
4♠* 6♦ * 7 controls (discounting the club king)

If we played a strong NT then our NT methods would be

1NT 3♦* * diamonds and stiff club no five-card major
4♣* 4♥** * the nuts ** kickback RKCB
4NT* 6♦ * 1 or 4

[Impact]

1C (16+) 1D (lacking 2 controls)
1NT (16-18/19) 2C (Stayman)
2D 3D (GF for various reasons long D, implies unbal & 8+)
3H 3S (shape)
5C (nothing here all prime) 6D

NB we stop in 5D opposite KQxx x QJxxxx xx


Ken should like this: when a bid at a lower level is a cue bid, the jump in that denomination is a denial with super max elsewhere (not going to be available all the time eg H & C reversed, but then you just go through your cue bid)
regards

[han]

Oh, our auction might be:

1C (we open all 17-19 balanced hands with 1C)
1H (shows 4+ spades)
1NT (17-19 balanced, could be 5-2 in the minors)
2D (artificial GF)
2S (shows 3, denies 4 hearts)
3D
3H (stopper)
3S
4D
4H
4S
5C
5H
6D

More or less the same as yours except that 1NT shows 17-19 which makes it easier for responder.

[mikeh]

Playing 15-17, I think this is tough. East has a problem over 4♦. Partner may well have a worse hand for the auction: AJx KJx AJxx Jxx is one construction on which even 5♦ is not cold.

And East is unlimited, as I understand the auction to 4♦, so cuebidding hearts here may well mislead partner..... Axx KJx AKxx Jxx: now it may be tough for west to stop below slam.

So I think that this is just one of those hands where you reach slam if east is feeling bullish and not otherwise, and it is the methods to blame, not the players... and the method is pretty normal

[jvage]

I played the same tournament as Harald this weekend, me and partner missed both this and the other slam he has presented where we held the same cards

The bidding was identical on the other hand (partner also passed 3NT after 3♦ - 3NT - P). I agree with the posters in that thread that 4NT was marginal (possibly influenced by the fact that it would definitely have worked better I felt 4NT was correct at the table).

Here the bidding also started the same (1NT - 2♣, 2♦ - 3♦, 3♥), but partner bid 3NT instead of 3♠. I now had an easy 4♦, and think partners 5♦ signoff was too timid. Unlike in Haralds sequence he was now limited by 3NT, so I had shown some real extras with 4♦.

John

[whereagles]

Skaean, here's a way out:

Responder has a 5 loser hand and pard's expectancy is 4 cover cards. Responder knows this is slam territory in abstract. Then opener denies a major, confirming a likely fit for diamonds. Next he bids 3♥ which shows no club wastage. A diamond slam must be there now. Just bid 4NT over 4♦ and wrap-up with 6.

[kenrexford]

Impact, on Feb 10 2008, 07:01 PM, said:

1C (16+) 1D (lacking 2 controls)
1NT (16-18/19) 2C (Stayman)
2D 3D (GF for various reasons long D, implies unbal & 8+)
3H 3S (shape)
5C (nothing here all prime) 6D

NB we stop in 5D opposite KQxx x QJxxxx xx


Ken should like this: when a bid at a lower level is a cue bid, the jump in that denomination is a denial with super max elsewhere (not going to be available all the time eg H & C reversed, but then you just go through your cue bid)
regards

Very close, indeed!

My automatic, immediate thought was that the auction should go:

1NT(same)-P-2♣(same)-P
2♦(same)-P-3♦(same)-P-
3♥(same)-P-3♠(same)-P-
5♣(empathetic splinter)

When the auction has isolated clubs as the notrump-probe problem, and Opener has AKxx in support with both side Aces, plus a Jack as a kicker, he must overstate his values to a degree (normally, an empathetic splinter for me is five covers, but four key cards, a useful Jack, and four-card support calls for action). Plus, the usual "five covers" is not in a GF sequence, which this is. So, show "splinter acceptance values" by jumping in clubs.

Thankfully, there is no ambiguity because it is clearly a jump. I'd imagine that there might be similar sequences where one could make an "empathetic splinter" without the jump, such as 1N-2♣-2♦-3♣-3♦-3♠-4♥. But, this one seems easy.