BridgeSnaps - April 2005

April 2005

MORNING EXERCISES

Here are some good practice exercises. You are South. Partner, North, opens 1 club and East passes. What is your call with each of the following hands.

1) S) A 10 6 5          2) S) A 9 7 4                 3) S) K Q 9                   4) S) 8 7
     H) Q 9 7 3               H) 9 8                            H) Q J 7                        H) 4 3 2
     D) 8 4 2                   D) 3 2                            D) A 10 3                      D) Q 9 6
     C) K 4                      C) Q 9 7 4 3                  C) Q 9 7 2                     C) K J 7 5 2

1) Bid your majors up the line. Call 1 heart.

2) It may be tempting to raise clubs, but then you will never find a possible 4-4 spade fit. Call 1 spade, perhaps raising clubs later if partner continues to bid.

3) There is no 4-4 major fit here. With 14 HCP, jump directly to 3NT. Don’t even think about a 5 club game!

4) This hand has no promise beyond clubs. Raise to 2 clubs.

THE RULE BOOK SAYS

Slow players please take note: a card must be played the same day it is dealt.

PLAYING IT SAFE

You, South, are playing a 4 spade contract, and your trump suit is:

SOUTH NORTH
Q 9 8 7 5 K J 6 3

Surely you have one trump looser, the ace. But before you draw trump, think about what could go wrong. (Somebody’s law says “if it can go wrong, it will.”) The worse case is a 4-0 split and you could lose both the ace and the 10. How is this possible? If you play the Queen first and West shows out, then East had started with A-10-4-2 and you now are unable to capture the 10. Play the King or Jack first, then if someone is void, you can finesse the other for the 10.

UNCONVENTIONAL

It is said that the road to hell is paved with good conventions.

BridgeSnaps newsletter is produced by John S. Thomas, author of Standard American 21.