[inquiry]

I am certain the management of TOPFLIGHT and the BIL hope all the beginner/intermediates who took the time to participate in the event had a good time. I am sure you learned all to quickly that your topflight "experts" are all too human, as they make mistakes too.

Anyway here are the hands from the event, with a few comments. I hope your "expert" provide useful advise (in friendly manner of course) throughout the day.

[quote]Bd: 1
Dlr: North
Vul: None
    North
    S 932         
    H 6           
    D J97         
    C AT8765       

  West    East
  S A8764            S KJ           
  H AT73            H KQ84         
  D QT83            D K542         
  C                  C KJ3         

    South
    S QT5         
    H J952         
    D A6           
    C Q942         
Open Room:
West North East South
        PASS    1NT    PASS   
2C    PASS    2H    PASS   
4H    PASS    PASS    PASS


10 Tricks Claimed +420.  [/quote]

The auction and result should be fairly easy. Norht will probably pass, but brave souls might preempt 3[cl], pass seems right. East has a balanced 16 hcp hand, and I can think of no good reason not to open 1NT (15-17 hcp). The weak notrumpers will have to open something else. West will use stayman, and north may double, but probably not. When East bids 2[he], 4[he] will be reached immediately. 10 Tricks are easy (3 club ruffs, 1D, 2S, a spade ruff, and three top hearts).


[quote]Bd: 2
Dlr: East
Vul: NS
    North
    S AJ8         
    H T8743       
    D Q6           
    C KT4         

  West    East
  S K4              S Q32         
  H Q96              H 52           
  D 532              D KJT94       
  C Q9876            C A53         

    South
    S T9765       
    H AKJ         
    D A87         
    C J2           


Open Room:

West North East South
                PASS    1S   
PASS    3S    PASS    PASS   
PASS   

9 Tricks Claimed +140.[/quote]

MAny people might choose not to open south's hand. If you pass, it is possible the bidding will go four passes. But, with 13 hcp, a 1S opening bid is perfectly normal. The question of how the auction should continue gets pushed off on north. With balanced 10 but with three card support, a normal 2S raise seems just about right. However, a jump to 3S is only a slight overbid. Two spades is no challenge at all, the contact is can you make 3S. Imagine a conservative diamond opening lead, the queen losing to the king, and a diamond back. Win the Ace, and finessee a spade, loing to the Queen. Back comes the heart five, and you win the ACE (don't win the KING, as then EAST will know you have the ACE, leave EAST up in the air on where cards are, not that it matters on this hand). You lead a spade to king ACE, cross to the heart ACE, and lead heart jack. West wins the heart jack, and plays a third diamond (he has played 5-3-2 in that order). You ruff in dummy, and lead the heart TEN. East ruffs and you overruff. Now you will win 4S, 1D, 1D ruff, 2H for 8 tricks). A ninth trick in the form guessing clubs right (the heart is good in dummy, but you can't get to it without guessing clubs well).

So you lead a low club. West plays low. You know West has to have one of the top clubs, for with S-Q32 H-52 D-KJT94 C-AQx East would (probably have opened). If East has neither Queen or Ace, you can't go wrong. But when WEST plays low you have to guess. The odds are exactly the same (West can have one or the other) so you will just have to guess. If you guess right and play the Ten you win 9 tricks, if you guess wrong and play the King you make only 8.



[quote]Bd: 3
Dlr: South
Vul: EW
    North
    S A2           
    H AQJ98       
    D J94         
    C 964         

  West    East
  S 43              S KQ876       
  H 5432            H 7           
  D AQT6            D K852         
  C K83              C QT7         

    South
    S JT95         
    H KT6         
    D 73           
    C AJ52         


Open Room:

West North East South
                        PASS   
PASS    1H      1S      2H   
PASS    PASS    PASS   

8 Tricks Claimed +110. [/quote]

This is a simple little hand. North has a minimum 1H opening bid in third seat, East will probably overcall 1S, and south has an easy 2H raise. EW can do well by bidding to 3D, but NS probably will buy the contract in 2H. If EAST leads the spade King, NS easily score 9 tricks but winning spade ACE, pulling trumps, and knocking out the spade Queen (5H, 3S, 1C).

On a lead like a club, North-South can come to 8 tricks by winning the club Ace, and playing a diamond. The defense can not stop North South from ruffing a diamond in dummy to score 5H, 1C, 1S and a diamond ruff and 8 tricks.

The interesting defense is a trump opening lead, this requires very careful play to make (as they will be able to prevent the diamond ruff which was your easy 8th trick). You must win the diamond in dummy, and plug away with a diamond. West must win this diamond and lead a trump, or you will be able to ruff a diamond after all. You must win this heart also in dummy, and continue diamond. Again WEST must win, and continue a trump or you will be able to ruff a diamond in dummy. But now your opponents have weakened their position. You win the trump and continue with two more trumps!!! East has to keep three spades, or you can play spade ACE and a spade to set up a spade in dummy. West has to keep the king of diamonds, or else your diamond jack is good. So East will eventually be forced to throw a club. It turns out then that you will enjoy the club 9 as a winner. Here is the position when you lead your last trump.

[quote]  North
    S A2           
    H A       
    D J         
    C 964         

  West    East
  S 43              S KQ8       
  H              H             
  D T6            D K       
  C K83            C QT7         

    South
    S JT9         
    H         
    D           
    C AJ52      [/quote]
East will discard a club, now when you play a club to TEN-JACK-KING, the ACE will drop the QUEEN, and the nine will be good. This is an interesting squeeze without the count... FULL CREDIT to the defense if they started hearts and even FULLER credit if you or your partner found the three suit squeeze without count to make.

[quote]Bd: 4
Dlr: West
Vul: Both
    North
    S T974         
    H T8543       
    D AT8         
    C 8           

  West    East
  S 62              S AKQ5         
  H A62              H Q9           
  D KQ75            D 964         
  C AK72            C 9543         

    South
    S J83         
    H KJ7         
    D J32         
    C QJT6         


Open Room:

West North East South   
1NT    PASS    2C    PASS   
2D    PASS    3NT    PASS   
PASS    PASS   
7 Tricks Claimed -200.
[/quote]

This is an unfortuante hand for EW. West has a sound 1NT opening bid, and EAST will try stayman. After the 2D response (no four card major), East will count his 11 hcp and add them to his partner's minimum of 15 and get to 26 (at least) so will bid 3NT. This is one time 3NT will not make. North will start a heart. With Axx Declearer will try the queen, but this will lose to the King. WEST will duck to the third round of hearts (hoping suit is 4-4 or south has the diamond ACE. West will try a spade to the ACE, and a diamond. North will win the diamond ACE and cash the hearts to set the contract. A low diamond by north back will expose north to a spade-diamond simple squeeze. Teh diamond TEN back will expose south to diamond-club squeeze. And a club back by north will expose NS to a double squeeze (both threat the diamond 7). But a spade back kills all these chances, for down two. It is worth looking at these ending (set the cards up and play with them to see what these look like).

[quote]Bd: 5
Dlr: North
Vul: NS
    North
    S KQJ76       
    H 62           
    D 5           
    C Q6543       

  West    East
  S AT853            S 92           
  H QT              H 75           
  D JT863            D K4           
  C 2                C AKJT987     

    South
    S 4           
    H AKJ9843     
    D AQ972       
    C             


Open Room:

West North East South
        PASS    1C      1H   
1S      DBL    2C      3D   
PASS    3NT    PASS    4H   
PASS    PASS    PASS   

11 Tricks Claimed +650.
[/quote]

South has a wild hand, and NS will do well to stop in 4/5Hearts. Over 1C opening bid, south has a couple of options... unusual 2NT (with a powehouse), or a tame 1H. The odds are REAL good with a 7-5 hand if you bid 1H hear the auction will not end. It seems 5H is the limit.


[quote]Bd: 6
Dlr: East
Vul: EW
    North
    S 963         
    H QT7         
    D KQ642       
    C J9           

  West    East
  S KJ8752          S T4           
  H 2                H 64           
  D AT3              D 9875         
  C Q73              C T8542       

    South
    S AQ           
    H AKJ9853     
    D J           
    C AK6         


Open Room:

West North East South                             
                PASS    2C   
2S      3D    PASS    3H   
PASS    4H    PASS    6H   
PASS    PASS    PASS   

12 Tricks Claimed +980.[/quote]
Once North shows some values and heart support, everyone will get to slam. There is no trick in the play.


[quote]Bd: 7
Dlr: South
Vul: Both
    North
    S K52         
    H K8           
    D JT853       
    C T52         

  West    East
  S AJ64            S QT83         
  H Q93              H 72           
  D K964            D A2           
  C 93              C AK876       

    South
    S 97           
    H AJT654       
    D Q7           
    C QJ4         


Open Room:

West North East South
                        2H   
PASS    PASS    DBL    PASS   
3S    PASS    4S    PASS   
PASS    PASS   
9 Tricks Claimed -100.[/quote]
South's hand is probably marginal for a vulnerable 2H bid, but this should not slow EW down from bidding 4S. North will start a heart, and south will play a thrid round so north can ruff (in case north has the diamond king, you don't want the heart queen to provide a place to throw diamnod 2). Declearer can make, by playing for 3-3 clbus, but if he plays to ruff two diamonds in dummy he might go down.


[quote]Bd: 8
Dlr: West
Vul: None
    North
    S Q985         
    H KJ2         
    D 87           
    C KJT3         

  West    East
  S JT              S AK742       
  H A8543            H 9           
  D AT43            D J9652       
  C 65              C 94           

    South
    S 63           
    H QT76         
    D KQ           
    C AQ872       


Open Room:

West North East South
bg sandy10 johnspa inquiry
                               
PASS    PASS    PASS    1C   
1H      1S    PASS    1NT   
PASS    PASS    2D    PASS   
PASS    3C    PASS    PASS   
3D    PASS    PASS    PASS   
11 Tricks Claimed +150.
[/quote]

After three passes, south has a problem. In any other position, south opens. In fourth seat, south has to worry if EW will out bid him in spades. There is a rule (Pearson rule) that says add you hcp to your number of spades in the fourth seat.. if it totals 15 open, if not pass. Here you have enough for pearson rule 1C, but if you do open, EW might out bid you and make a lucky 10 or 11 tricks in diamonds.

[quote]Bd: 9
Dlr: North
Vul: EW
    North
    S AQJT873     
    H A93         
    D K72         
    C             

  West    East
  S 52              S K4           
  H QT54            H 876         
  D J95              D Q4           
  C JT32            C KQ7654       

    South
    S 96           
    H KJ2         
    D AT863       
    C A98         


Open Room:

West North East South
        1S      2C    2D   
3C  5C PASS  5H
PASS    6S PASS PASS
PASS

12 Tricks Claimed
[/quote]

North's hand is WAY too good to open 4S. If NS struggle to get to 6S, north should combine his chances to take 12 tricks. Win the club lead and throw a diamond away. Lead the spade nine and let it run to the king. Win the club continuation, pull trumps. Now ruff the third round of diamonds. If diamonds are 3-2, you can use the heart king to get to dummy and throw your third round heart loser away. If not, you can fall back on trying the heart finesse.


[quote]Bd: 10
Dlr: East
Vul: Both
    North
    S AQ763       
    H KT43         
    D Q97         
    C K           

  West    East
  S J8              S KT42         
  H QJ2              H 965         
  D AKT4            D 8632         
  C QJ42            C 65           

    South
    S 95           
    H A87         
    D J5           
    C AT9873       


Open Room:

West North East South                               
                PASS    PASS   
1C      1S    PASS    PASS   
PASS   
8 Tricks Claimed +110.
[/quote]

A very tame hand. Some would double with north's hand, no doubt, and end up playing in 3[cl] or 3 of a major. Agaist 3[cl], you will lsoe 2[cl], 1[sp], 1[he] and 2[di] for down two. 1[sp] should present no problems. You win (at least) 2H, 2C, 3S, and it is hard to not imagine you will score a [di] trick as well.


[quote]Bd: 11
Dlr: South
Vul: None
    North
    S A8           
    H K85         
    D AK5         
    C QJT83       

  West    East
  S 3                S KT954       
  H AJ2              H QT973       
  D QJ974            D T82         
  C A975            C             

    South
    S QJ762       
    H 64           
    D 63           
    C K642         


Open Room:

West North East South
                        PASS   
1D      1NT    2H      2S   
3H    PASS    PASS    PASS   
8 Tricks Claimed -50.
[/quote]

North has a slightly off shape 1NT overcall. IF east shows his hearts, south will bid 2S. With the evil spade split, 2S still can make, so this becomes a part-score battle, with EW landing in 3H or 3D. Against 3H, South will probably start a club, won in dummy as EAST thows a spade. On a low spade from dummy, norht will win the spade ACE, take two diamnods and give south a diamond ruff, and eventually north will win the heart king.


[quote]Bd: 12
Dlr: West
Vul: NS
    North
    S A62         
    H KJT76       
    D T           
    C KT97         

  West    East
  S KJ9              S T543         
  H A92              H 83           
  D J54              D 763         
  C AQJ8            C 6432         

    South
    S Q87         
    H Q54         
    D AKQ982       
    C 5           


Open Room:

West North East South
abijoy1 sandy10 lorran inquiry
                               
1NT    2H    PASS    3NT   
PASS    PASS    PASS   
10 Tricks Claimed +630.
[/quote]

After a vulnerable 2H overcall of 1NT, south has a problem. How many hearts to bid. It turns out, four hearts is fairly straight forward. Even on a spade lead, you get 4H, 1S, 1C, 3D, plus a club ruff. An adventuresome south might try 3NT instead of 4H, and that will work well too. WEST probably starts the club Queen, you win king, knock out the heart ACE and have plenty of tricks.