Problem 35: Club game, 4/25/06

Matchpoints. All white, 1st seat, you hold QJ9xx J876x void 98x. The bidding proceeds:

p 1D 1N 3D.

What do you bid?

Problem 20 resolved

I bid 3C to try to keep them out of a red suit and to play 3C rather than 2S. This worked out well; partner held

Q9x immaterial immaterial J (I think he had some detritus in the reds, but not much, maybe just the diamond jack... 5 hearts 4 diamonds I think?)

When I bid 3C, it actually went pass pass double. I got the jack of spades lead and made an overtrick.

Also, a note: from now on, we will be resolving problems in the comments, and posting short notes in future entries saying that the problems have been resolved.

Problems 16 and 17 resolved

On 16, I bid Stayman, and then bid 3H shortness after partner responded 2S. Partner made avery discouraging 4S call over that which I floated. Partner's hand was:

KJ7x KQx Kxx Kxx
(opposite)
98xx Axx AQJxx A

The spade Qx is on your left. Spades always makes five, while notrump will make five if you can guess the spades and 4 otherwise (assuming they lead a club.) So good guessers should play 3NT single-dummy, bad guessers 4S.

On 17, holding KQT97 9x KJ AQ86, after 1s 2h 2s 3c, I chose 4c. Partner bid 4H which I passed. This proved to be the right spot as partner held x AKJTx Qx Kxxxx. As I recall the heart hook was off and partner made 4.

Problem 14 resolved

I tanked and then bid 3NT. Partner's hand was:

KQx x AKJTxx Q97

Righty has Qxx of diamonds so 3NT is down on a heart lead, but I received the fortunate lead of the stiff jack of clubs and took 10 tricks for a top. 5D makes if you pin the stiff jack of clubs, which you may well do. Lefty had ATxx KJxxxxx x J.

3H is down 1 on normal defense (partner leads a top diamond and then switches to a trump), as we take 1D 1H 2S 1C.

Problem 20: Club game, 3/20/06

Matchpoints. All white, 1st seat, you hold AK32 J2 void KQ87xxx. You open 1C. The auction continues:

1C p 1H 1NT back to you. 1NT is strong, 15-18.

Your bid. Also, what would you have done if RHO had passed?

Problem 17: Club game, 3/5/06

Matchpoints. None vul, you hold KQT97 9x Kx AQ86 in first seat. You open 1S. With the opponents silent, the auction continues:

1S - 2H
2S - 3C

2S is your systemic bid with this hand. What do you bid here, and what do you plan to do over some possible continuations (for instance, if you bid 3NT and partner bids 4C or 4H; if you bid 4C and partner bids 4H; if you bid 4C and partner bids 4S; if you bid 3H and partner bids 3NT or 4C.)

Problem 16: Club game, 3/5/06

Matchpoints, favorable. You hold in 3rd seat:

9xxx
Axx
AQJxx
A

Partner opens 1NT, pass to you. What is your plan? (Should you decide to bid 2C and have partner bid 2S, you have at your disposal 3H showing shortness, 4C keycard, and 4D balanced quantitative slam try, all agreeing spades.)

Problem 9 resolved

I bid 4NT. Partner bid 5C which I passed making 6. I was worried about a diamond ruff or slow spade loser against 6, but partner's hand was something like Q xxx KQJ9x xxxx.

Problem 14: Club game, 3/2/06

You hold J9xx AT xxx AT8x, all white, 4th seat. The auction goes:

p 1D p 1S;
3H x p to you.

What do you bid? Lefty is known to not be insane; partner's double is cards / takeoutish / do something intelligent, almost always with 3 spades.

Problem 8 resolved

I passed 2D. Partner doubled, righty quickly bid 2H. I should have hit this but now I wussed out and bid 2S, making 140 (2H was going for 3-500; partner's x of 2D was penalty, as he was 5-5 in the pointeds, and 2D would probably have been down 1 or maybe 2.)

Problem 7 resolved

At the table, the player holding this hand (recall: AKx xxx AQx Txxx, auction goes 1h p p x; p to you, red/white) bid 2h. The partnership then had a long and tortuous auction (opponents silent for all of it)

x 2h
2s 3c
3h 3s
4c 4s

4s was pretty routinely down 1. At the other table, North (who was 6-4 in the rounds) shoved in a 2c bid over x, and East bid 2s and played it there, making 4. Partner held Txxx A9x Jxx KQJx.

Problem 3 resolved

I bid 4C. The auction continued:

p 1C 2H x
3H 4C 4H 4S
x

I passed this. 4Sx was down 1 while 4H was cold, and we got a good score. Sadly partner's hand has been lost to the sands of time, but I think he was 6313. If you pass, partner probably balances with 3S and who knows what you do now (I'm not sure if lefty, who has a stiff club, would make the 4H bid if you passed.)

Problem 9: Club game, 2/6/06

Matchpoints, white/red, 3rd seat, AJxx void xxx AKQJxx. The auction begins:

2D 4H to you. What is your bid and plan for various continuations (e.g. lefty bids 5H which is passed to you, or if you bid 4NT for minors, partner bids 5C or 5D)?

Problem 8: Club game, 1/30/06

Matchpoints, red/white, 4th seat, Kx Q9842 Q K96xx. The auction starts:

1H 1S p 1NT
p p 2D ?

Problem 1 resolved

Recall that I held x 98xx void AQTJ9xxx all white second seat at IMPs. The bidding went:

p p 1D 1S
p 2C p 2NT
3D 4C float. Partner had:

Qxxxx Qx AKTx Kx. 4C is cold, 3NT is down on a non-diamond lead, so I guess my 4C bid was right, but in retrospect I think I should have bid 3NT. Partner's 2NT opposite my passed-hand 2C advance suggests a fitting honor, and if his diamond king were elsewhere 3NT could easily have been cold, or they might lead the wrong major and he could have an ace, or they might lead a diamond (the opponent on lead claimed he was "never leading a diamond against that auction, come on"), or who knows.

Problem 7: Golden Bear Series, February 1

20-board match, IMPs, red on white, 2nd seat, AKx xxx AQx Txxx.

The auction goes:
1H p p x
p to you. What is your bid, and what is your plan?

Problem 2 resolved

I led the club ace. Dummy came down with something like:

Qxx
KJxx
Q9x
QJx

Partner played the lowest outstanding club spot (playing upside down) and I lauded myself for not playing a heart and allowing declarer to ruff and draw trumps. So I played another club to partner's king... and declarer ruffed, making 4S by discarding a heart on dummy's good club and eventually losing two diamond tricks.

Problem 3: Club game, 1/30/06

Matchpoints, white/red, 2nd seat, Qx x KJ87 AK87xx (diamond spots approximate.) The auction goes:

P 1C 2H x
3H ?

Problem 1 continued

I tried the cagey pass. The bidding continued:

P P 1D 1S
P 2C P 2NT
3D

and now I had to find another bid. What would you do?

Problem 2: GNT qualifying, 1/21/06

Knockout. Red on white, 1st seat, xx Q987x void ATxxxx. You pass. The bidding continues:

P P 1D 1S
x xx 2H 3D
3H 3S p 4S all out.

Your lead.

Problem 1: Monterey regional 1/7/06

Compact KO. All white, 2nd seat, x 98xx void AQJT9xxx, pass to you. Give your first bid, then when there are a suitable number of opinions, we will continue with the auction.