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Test Your Bridge Skills #40

This quiz was written by Oren Lidor.

Test Your Bridge Skills #40

Test Your Bridge Skills #40

Hand 1

What will you bid as South?

Best Answer: Pass

What does partner promise with a 2♥ bid? 6-9 points with at least 5 Spades and 4 Hearts (with 4-4 they would bid 1♥ first). Therefore, even if partner has maximum hand for their bid, you most likely don’t have enough strength for game (maximum 22 points together).

It's true that in some cases you will make 10 tricks (especially if partner has 5-5 or 6-4 split, but even then, 10 tricks are not assured), but for that you will need a lot of luck.

So, if staying in part score; which is better, 2♥ or 2♠?

We already saw in previous articles, that a 4-4 fit is normally better than 5-3 (and even 6-3), which is why it's best to pass. This could be the hand:

Note:

  • Why is a 4-4 fit normally better? Because it allows you to ruff, pull trumps and later discard losers on the side 5-3 suit, whereas if the 5-3 suit is trump, you will not be able to discard losers on the 4-4 side suit. Example:




    Which slam would you rather play, 6♥ or 6♠?


    6♠ hand has no chance of making. You have just 11 tricks, no matter what you do and you cannot avoid losing 2 Clubs.


    On the other hand, 6♥ can be made with an overtrick. All you need to do is ruff 2 Diamonds in dummy, pull out the trumps and discard 2 Clubs on the long Spades.
  • So, what would you do as responder if you have more points? You can agree with partner to play NMF (new minor forcing) which is bidding the unbid minor suit to show a good hand and force partner to bid OR play checkback stayman, using 2♣ to ask for 3 cards in your suit or 4 cards in the other major suit OR play XYZ (system combining 2 way checkback). Example for new minor forcing:

    Opener ------- Responder
    1♦  ------------- 1♠
    1NT  ----------- 2♣ = NMF (also checkback stayman) showing 11+ points and asking opener to continue describing their hand as follows:


    2♦ means no 4 cards in ♥ and no 3 cards in ♠. Responder now would like to bid 2NT with minimum, or 3NT with opening as there is no fit in the major.


    2♥ means 4 cards in ♥. Responder will now bid 3/4♥ with 4 cards in ♥ or 2/3NT without ♥.


    2♠ means 3 cards in ♠. Responder will now bid 3/4♠ with 5 cards in ♠ (which they likely have).


    Note that if opener has 4 Hearts and 3 Spades they bid 2♥ first, to find a possible 4-4 Heart fit and if responder bids 3NT, opener can correct to 4♠, as it is clear from the bidding that responder has 5 cards in Spades (with no 4 Hearts nor 5 Spades, responder should bid 3NT after opener's 1NT rebid):


    Opener ------- Responder
    1♦ ------------- 1♠
    1NT ------------ 2♣
    2♥ ------------- 3NT
    4♠ means opener has 12-14 points, a balanced hand with 3 Spades, 4 Hearts, 4 Diamonds and 2 Clubs.
  • Which is why a 1♠ and later a 2♥ respond after 1NT rebid is showing no ambition for game.
Hand 2

What will you bid as South?

Best Answer: Pass

And what does partner show now? 6-9 points and length (normally 7 cards or very good 6).

But partner changed suit. Doesn’t that mean they have to have at least 10 points? NO! When the first bid is 1NT and then they later bid a suit, they limit their hand to minimum but they must have a good suit, and they want to play it (sign off). With a weak hand but no long good suit, they must then choose between Pass, 2♥ OR correct to 2♠ (the first suit that you bid). If playing SAYC, with 10+ points partner would bid 2♣ not 1NT (see below what to bid if play 2/1).

Therefore, PASS. You have a minimum hand and no reason to look for a better contract, after already mentioning both your suits. The hands could be:

You can see that all contracts above are failing except for 3♣.

If partner had better Clubs, you would still need luck to make 3NT.

Note:

  • You don’t want to bid 3NT with a singleton in partner's suit when they showed a weak hand and a long suit as often there will be no entry to their hand (even if you manage to promote the suit).
  • When the responder bids 1NT and later bids a new suit (without a jump) it shows 6-9 points and a long suit, and a desire to remain in that contract. It could be a 6 card suit if the rebid is at the 2 level and normally a 7 card suit at the 3 level (as per the hand above):

    You ---- partner
    1♠ ---------- 1NT
    2♦ ---------- 2♥ = 6 cards in Hearts and 6-9 points

  • When playing 2/1 then it’s the same! You can agree with partner that if the opening is 1♦ then a jump to 3♣ shows 10-11 with 6-7 cards. If the opening is 1♥ then you can agree the same if not playing Bergen. If playing Bergen (3♣ shows a Heart fit) then you can play impossible 2♠ to show 10-11 and long Clubs or Diamonds:

    You --- Partner
    1♥ ---------- 1NT
    2♦ ---------- 2♠ cannot be natural as 1NT denied Spades. You can make an agreement with partner that it shows good Clubs and 10-11 points, while a 3♣ shows 6-9.

Hand 3

Against 3NT you led the ♠Q. Partner took the ♠A and continued with the ♣4. You took the ♣A. What will you do now?

Best Answer: ♣2

Against 3NT you led the ♠Q. Partner took the ♠A and continued with the ♣4. You took the ♣A. What will you do now?

Why doesn’t partner continue with Spades? They don’t have any! It is also clear that partner has at most 2 Diamond cards (as the declarer has at least 2 from their 1NT opening). So, partner has Hearts and Clubs.

When partner led a low Club, they show interest in that suit (it promises at least 1 honor, or length or both). Partner could play a high Club if they wanted you to switch.

Therefore, win the ♣A and return another Club. There is no point trying to continue developing the Spades as you have no more entries to your hand.

Furthermore, if partner wanted to initiate the Hearts, they would’ve played Heart and not Club.

Partner's play with a low Club is very good. If they played the ♣K, it would’ve blocked the suit. You cannot afford to overtake with the Ace, as it would promote the ♣J, and if you followed low the Club suit would be blocked.

So, return a Club and it's 2 down (♠A + 5 Clubs).

Note:
In general, continuing with a LOW card in a suit, even in the middle of the game, encourages partner to continue with the suit. So here (as in the example), if partner wanted to play Club but wanted you to play another suit, they could've played a high Club.

Hand 4

You play 3NT and West led the ♥J. You won with the ♥A. What now?

Best Answer: ♦AK and ♦7

You play 3NT and West led the ♥J. You won with the ♥A. What now?

You have 7 sure tricks. You might assume you can develop 3 more tricks from the Club suit, but it's not so!

Given opponent's Heart lead, it is clear that they can develop their Hearts before you could successfully develop your Clubs as if you play Club, they will win and play Heart. You’d then win and play Club, but now they will win again and take at least 3 more Hearts. Then you lose ♣AK and 3 Hearts, unless your opponent’s mess up and block the suit.

So, you need to find 2 more tricks from other suits: Spades would need to behave and be 3-3 and you’d also need to bring a trick from the Diamond suit.

If Diamonds are also 3-3, then there is no problem as you have time to promote the 4th Diamond. But there’s also a chance if diamonds are 4-2 if the short hand has 2 high Diamonds (higher than the ♦9), like in this hand; play ♦AK and then a 3rd Diamond. As ♦Q10 dropped on your ♦AK, you now manage to promote your ♦9. West can win the 3rd Diamond with the ♦J, your 9 is high now, and the Spade is the entry to your 4th Diamond.

Doing this allows you to make 4 Spades, 3 Diamonds and 2 Hearts before opponents manage to develop their Hearts.

Note:

  • Note that a NT play is like a race: It's all about who will manage to develop the long suit first. Here Hearts and Clubs look the same as you are missing ♣AK in your long suit and opponents miss ♥AK in theirs. But as they have the lead, they are ahead of you in the race. Realizing it is important, and you have to look for other solutions. If it wasn’t for a Heart lead, you could develop the Clubs in comfort.
  • When things look desperate, you sometimes need to hope, and play a line which gives a chance, even if it’s a low chance it’s better than nothing. Hoping for Diamond and Spade tricks has a low chance to make, but it was your ONLY chance as trying the Clubs has close to a 0% chance of success – the only way you would succeed is if your opponent makes a mistake.

About the Author

Oren Lidor is considered one of the best bridge teachers in Israel, is the author of 5 bridge books, and teaches bridge to people from all over the world on BBO.

18 comments on “Test Your Bridge Skills #40”

  6. hi
    iam not happy with problem 1:
    the 4-4 fit is much better if you have many points, but in small contracts hlike here i prefer ths 5-3 fit: keeping control if second suit is 4-1-no ruffs in the worse suit.

    Reply

  8. On hand 4 with 10C lead istill have time to change direction afer taking the 2nd H trick.
    Just a chance that the 10C will run

    Reply

    1. A very pleasant 15mins - hard enough that I fail, but simple enough that I immediately see why from the answer. Thanks!

      Reply

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