What should I Bid? - Best enquiry for April 2006
The best submission for the month of April was made by John William Gross.
Hand: At West, as dealer, I held the hand with both red suits.
|
A
AKQ1043
KQ7543
- |
|
76432
-
982
AK987 |
Bidding:
|
West
|
North
|
East |
South |
|
1![hearts](../../images/h.gif) |
P |
1NT |
P |
|
4![diamonds](../../images/d.gif) |
P |
5![diamonds](../../images/d.gif) |
All Pass |
Comments: I was very tempted to bid 6 but
decided that the uncertainties were too great. With RHO holding AJ bare in
diamonds, 6 was
no problem. We play a fairly standard 5-card major system, with "Benjamin" 2 /2 reversed.
I do not like to open strong 2-suiters like this with a Benjamin opening bid. I
feel it often leads to problems in telling partner about the two suits before
the level is too high.
For this reason I opened 1 ,
crossing my fingers that it would not be passed out. When partner showed a mere
1NT response I chose to rebid 4 to
let her know that I was strong but not interested in a notrump contract. Already
at that stage I was only vaguely hoping for a slam.
Support of my diamond suit made me think harder about the slam, but I decided
not to.
Do you think I was right? And can you suggest any other auction(s) that may have
enabled us to reach the slam?
And Peter’s Response:
Hi John,
I too, prefer to open at the one level when holding an extreme 2 suiter,
although with a one loser hand, I might have relented and started with a strong
2 bid.
Be that as it may, I don't mind the 1
start. That is the end of my admiration for the auction.
The 1NT response is poor.
1
is the standard action and any effort to diagnose partner’s hand shape from here
will be based on the assumption that it does not contain 4 or more spades.
Given the 1NT response, 3
is the normal rebid. 3
is natural and game forcing. Over the likely 3NT rebid, I would continue
with 4 .
If partner happened to
raise 3
to 4 ,
I would be seeking to bid a grand slam by following up with 5NT. 5NT here is a
Grand Slam ask about diamonds.
Even on your auction, if
partner preferred diamonds to hearts, I would continue with 5NT.
You couldn't keep me out of less than 6
after partner responded 1NT.
The chances of partner
holding less than 3 diamonds while holding less than 4 spades and less than 3
hearts, is fairly low. Once partner prefers diamonds to hearts it is almost nil.
If partner turned up with
ace of diamonds after I enquired about trump honours, I would be pretty OK about
having a crack at 7 ,
settling in 6
if partner did not own up to the ace.
My view of how the auction
ought to have gone is this –
Bidding:
|
West
|
North
|
East |
South |
|
1![hearts](../../images/h.gif) |
Pass |
1![spades](../../images/s.gif) |
Pass |
|
3![diamonds](../../images/d.gif) |
Pass |
3NT |
Pass |
|
4![diamonds](../../images/d.gif) |
Pass |
5 * |
Pass |
|
5NT |
Pass |
6 / * |
Pass |
|
Pass
or 6 conversion if
necessary |
All Pass |
* 5
Agrees diamonds and shows first round control in clubs.
** 6 /
Depending on method, denies first or second round diamond control.
6 /Pass
(depending on partner's previous bid).
Regards
Peter Fordham
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