Thinking Bridge By Eddie Kantar NABC 2008 Las Vegas

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1 #1 Responding to a takeout double Dlr: West A Q 9 4 Vul: EBW A J 10 5 A J Q 6 K Q AK Q K J K J opened 1NT. After drawing trumps, lead a heart to the ace and run the J, intending to finesse if the queen doesn t appear. To remember: If opener starts with 1 or 1 and turns up with three cards in that suit, opener must have a balanced hand no singletons, no voids and no fivecard suit. 1 Dbl Pass 2 Pass 4 All Pass Opening lead: A. Bidding commentary: As South, you can revalue your hand facing a takeout double. An unbid five-card major is worth one extra point, minimum. The K facing likely heart length and strength is worth an extra point as well. On the down side, don t count anything for the J, a lonesome secondary honor in a suit bid by the opponents. All in all, your hand is worth at least 9 points, closer to 10 because of the strength of your spades. In any case, you have enough to make a non-forcing jump to 2, showing 9 11 revalued points, an important number to remember. As North, with 17 support points (one for the doubleton), you have enough to bid 4. Defensive commentary: As West, start with three top clubs and then the K. Play commentary: As South, you must find the Q to make your contract. You know West started with three clubs, so West has a balanced hand When an opponent has a balanced hand and doesn t open 1NT or 2NT, that opponent must have or HCP. With 18 19, opener usually bids again. Assume if opener remains silent. West has turned up with 9 HCP in clubs and figures to have the K Q for 14 HCP. Ergo, West doesn t have the Q or he would have

2 #2 Las Vegas 2001: A look back The Las Vegas tournaments are heavily attended. The city holds the record for both Summer and Fall NABC attendance. The highest count for a Fall NABC (and the fifth largest ever) was Las Vegas in 2001 with 16,818 tables in play. The 1973 tournament was the fifth largest fall tournament. The Summer Las Vegas tournaments, however, are the blockbusters. The all-time record for an NABC is 24,221 tables held here in The third largest and fourth largest also took place here (1985 with 19,827.5 and 1979 with 18,517.5). Any bets on this year s attendance setting another record? Here s a look back at some of the Las Vegas bridge deals through the years beginning with Some have been rotated for reading convenience. Eddie Kantar supplied a quiz each day. Here s the first one: Daily quiz #1 Dlr: South Vul: None K Q K Q A K Q J 10 8 A Q Q K J A K J A J K J A K J A J Pass Pass 4 Pass 5 All Pass West leads the 9. East overtakes with the 10 and you ruff. Everyone follows to the A. Now what? Decide before reading on. Here s Kantar s answer: Enter dummy with a club and lead a diamond to the J. If the finesse wins, the most you can possibly lose is two heart tricks. If the finesse loses, you will be able to discard dummy s hearts on your clubs and ruff a heart in dummy. The only way to lose the deal is to play off two top trumps and then start clubs. East ruffs early and plays a heart, a most unhappy ending for you

3 #3 Las Vegas retrospective Previous NABCs in Las Vegas featured many excellent deals. This is one of several quizzes authored by Eddie Kantar for the edification of Daily Bulletin readers. A J 4 A K Q 5 combination of East-West spades that allows them to cash more than three spade tricks when in with the Q. J 10 A J 9 4 A K 9 8 The contract is 3NT by South. West leads the 3. Can you see any way of ensuring nine tricks regardless of the lie of the East-West Cards? Decide before reading on. Here s Kantar s answer: The only certain way of ensuring nine tricks is to rise with the A (if you duck, East might shift to an embarrassing heart and the diamond finesse might be off) and play the A and a low diamond at tricks two and three. Here s the layout: A J 4 A K Q K Q 4 Q 8 6 K Q 8 5 J J 10 A J 9 4 A K 9 8 Playing a low diamond ensures four diamond tricks, all you need to make the contract, and guards against a 5 0 diamond split. If you played the A K and a low diamond, don t take credit, as a 4 1 diamond division defeats you if the player with the Q is stubborn enough to duck the third round of the suit. Notice that by winning the first spade, you do not leave yourself wide open in the suit, as there is no

4 #4 Placing the cards Dlr: South K J 8 5 Vul: None A K Q 7 2 J A 10 K J 5 Q A K Q 5 A 8 7 Q J 3 Play commentary #2: As South, if you want to further confirm your other cards count, it can t hurt to cash three rounds of clubs. As it happens, both follow to three rounds of clubs so you don t get any more information. Stick with plan A and play East for the Q. 1NT Pass 3NT All Pass Opening lead: 7. Bidding commentary: As North, it is generally not a good idea to use Stayman with a flat hand. In this case, even though you have missed a 4-4 spade fit, 3NT is a better contract because both your hand and partner s hand have the same distribution. Defensive commentary: West makes a normal fourthhighest lead. East wins the A and returns the 10. As West, you can follow with the 6 to show a five-card suit or you can make an even stronger play, the J. This play informs partner that the jack is your highest remaining equal informing partner that declarer has the Q. Play commentary: As South, win the K at trick two, higher equal for deceptive purposes. As it happens, you can even misguess the Q and take nine tricks, but if you were in a contract of 4, you would have to find the Q to make your contract. Also, if you are playing in a tournament where overtricks are the heart and soul of the game, finding the Q will give you a good score, perhaps a near top. There is a clue. West appears to have started with five hearts and eight other cards. East has two hearts and 11 other cards. Play the defender who has more other cards (East) for the missing queen.

5 #5 Maintaining communication Dlr: East 9 6 Vul: Both 10 3 Q J 10 7 J A K 3 2 Q A Q J 4 K K 7 4 J A K A Q out. Play commentary: As West, if North shifts to the J, play low from dummy. The bidding marks South with the A Q and it may be doubleton! Pass 1 Dbl 3 Dbl Pass 3 All Pass Opening lead: Q. Bidding commentary: As North, after an opposing takeout double, any jump by the responder (you) is preemptive. Don t worry about partner having three diamonds. That will be the case about 5% of the time. Do not play for exceptions! Would you rather be right 5% or 95% of the time? As East, your double, called responsive, is for takeout after partner makes a takeout double and the opponents support each other. Your double shows the ability to play in hearts and spades plus 7-10 HCP. As West, after partner makes a responsive double, bid the full value of your hand. 3 is plenty. As East, you have told your story with your double, and if all partner can do is bid 3, call it a day. Defensive commentary: As South, before blindly playing the 8 to encourage partner, check dummy to see if you want some other suit more than diamonds. Your eyes should come to rest upon your clubs. A club shift would be great, so play a low diamond asking for a shift, usually to dummy s shorter side suit. If partner shifts to the J and declarer plays low from dummy, win the Q, cash the A, and lead a low diamond to partner s known jack to get a club ruff. Nice defense. Defensive commentary #2: As third hand, do not signal partner encouragement in the suit that is led if you want a shift. Play low and hope partner works it

6 #6 Surrounding plays Dlr: North 7 6 Vul: None J 7 6 K J 10 6 Q J A K A Q A Q J 10 8 K 9 2 A Q 4 K x-(x) and you have A-J-9-(x) or K-J-9-(x), attack with the jack. When dummy to your right has the 9-x- (x) and you have K (x) or Q-10-8-(x), start with the 10. The common denominator of these three surrounding plays is having the dummy s jack, 10 or 9 perfectly surrounded by a higher and a lower card plus a higher non-equal honor. Pass 1 1NT Pass 2NT All Pass Opening lead: 9. Bidding commentary: As South, with only 15 highcard points, you really need a double stopper in the opener s suit to overcall 1NT. You do. As North, your raise to 2NT shows 8-9 HCP. As South, after partner digs up a raise to 2NT, you have the fastest pass in history. Lead commentary: As East, it is clear partner has led from shortness. With 9 x x, an unsupported suit, partner leads low. Defensive commentary: As East, there is no future in spades, so turn your attention to hearts. Assuming declarer has the king, the proper card to lead is the queen, a surrounding play. You have the jack surrounded with the queen and the 10 plus a higher unequal honor, the ace. Declarer takes the king, but when partner gets in with the A, his heart return gives your side three hearts tricks to go along with the A K and the A. Down one. When the dummy to your right has the J-x-x and you have A-Q-10-(x), attack with the queen. If you lead low and declarer has K-x-x, declarer play low and takes two tricks. If you lead the queen, declarer gets one. When dummy to your right has the

7 #7 Extra chances Dlr: South Vul: N-S Q 10 8 A Q 3 2 A Q J A K Q K J K J 5 4 A K J a singleton (diamonds). If it does, try to ruff out the king of that suit. If that doesn t work, take the finesse in the other suit (clubs). 3 Pass 4 Dbl All Pass Opening lead: 10. Bidding commentary: As South, you have a maximum vulnerable preempt. As North, you have to decide between responding 3NT, gambling on the spade position, or raising to 4, exposing you re A-Q combinations to an immediate attack from West. As it happens, the opponents can only run four spades, so 3NT would have been okay. As East, you have too much not to act over 4. Your double is for takeout. As West, even though partner s double is for takeout, with a weak balanced hand, take your chances and pass. Defensive commentary: As East, cash three spades and exit safely with a heart. Play commentary: As South, after East exits with a trump, it appears that you have to guess which minorsuit finesse to take, fearing from the bidding that neither is going to work. However, you have an extra chance. Play the A and ruff a diamond. Return to dummy with a trump and ruff another diamond. If the K appears (it does!), there is no need to take the club finesse. You can discard a club on the Q. If the K does not make a royal appearance, take the club finesse, but don t hold your breath. When missing two kings and having to decide which finesse to take, check to see if one of the suits includes

8 #8 Responding to an opening bid Dlr: South K Q 4 2 Vul: E-W Q Q J A 7 5 K K J 9 7 Q K J A J A 4 2 A 8 5 killing any possible diamond ruff in dummy. Play commentary: As South, if the defense plays a heart and a heart at tricks two and three, give up on trying to ruff a diamond and try to set up clubs instead. Lead a club to the queen and later the ace and a club hoping for a 3-3 break. Sorry, not this time. You gave it your best shot, but you are slated to lose two clubs, two diamonds and a trick in each major for one in the ashcan. 1 Pass 2 All Pass Opening lead: J. Bidding commentary: As North, you have a maximum raise to 2. It is not a good idea to start with 1 when holding three hearts and fewer than 10 HCP. If you do, and partner bids 2 or 2 you are not well placed. You aren t strong enough to jump to 3 (11-12 support points), and if you return to 2, you show a doubleton heart! As East, a non-passed hand, you are not strong to make a takeout double of 2. If you were a passed hand, you might chance it, but the double would be flawed lacking four spades. Defensive commentary: As East, ask yourself how can declarer use this dummy profitably? There are three possibilities: (1) long-suit establishment, (2) ruffing losers in the dummy and (3) Neither. Dummy is balanced. On this deal, long-suit establishment can be eliminated. You have the clubs covered and partner appears to have the spades. However, there is a possibility that declarer can ruff a diamond or two in dummy. Your counter move is to shift to a low heart at trick two. As West, if partner switches to a low heart and declarer ducks, win the king and follow partner s defense by continuing with a heart. When later on lead in diamonds, play a third heart,

9 #9 Reading the lead Dlr: East A K 4 3 Vul: E-W Q Q J Q J K A K 9 K A 5 Q J A J low at trick one on the heart. Partner needs the K to defeat the contract and you know two diamonds are cashing. 1 1 Pass 4 All Pass Opening lead: 8. Bidding commentary: As South, you have a minimum for a one level overcall. As North, 16 support points (not counting the Q) facing a one-level overcall usually produces game. Defensive commentary: As East, decide what partner is leading from to determine what declarer has in the suit. The lead is a likely top of a doubleton. With 9-xx-(x) in an unsupported suit, partner leads low. If partner has a doubleton, declarer has the A-J-10-x. If you cover, declarer will eventually be able to discard two clubs from dummy on the J and 10. If partner has the K, your cover costs a club trick, the setting trick! When partner s lead shows no honor cards, dummy has a singleton honor, and you have a higher honor than dummy, cover if you can promote a second or third round trick for yourself. For example, cover holding the K J or the K 10. If you can t promote at least a thirdround trick, play low. Play commentary: As South, If East covers the Q, blow East a kiss, draw trumps and discard two clubs on the two high of hearts. Instead of losing two clubs, you lose only one and bag a miracle game. Defensive commentary #2: As West, give count ( 4) when a diamond is played. As East, make sure you take four tricks in the minors, assuming you played

S. AKQ865 H. AK D. J82 C S S. 4 H. J86 H. Q D. 104 D. AK9 C. J7632 C. A94 South S. J93 H. 75 D. Q7653 C. KQ8

S. AKQ865 H. AK D. J82 C S S. 4 H. J86 H. Q D. 104 D. AK9 C. J7632 C. A94 South S. J93 H. 75 D. Q7653 C. KQ8 #1 Dlr: Vul: Neither S. AKQ865 H. AK D. J82 C. 105 S. 1072 S. 4 H. J86 H. Q109432 D. 104 D. AK9 C. J7632 C. A94 S. J93 H. 75 D. Q7653 C. KQ8 1S 2H 2S Pass 4S All Pass Opening lead: DA (A from AKx at trick