Sunday’s Grand National Team Game
And Our Thanks to John Koch
For Sharing the Exciting Finale!
Tony Ames held a Grand National Team qualifier at Edina this past Sunday and the Balderson team narrowly edged the Grue team, 113 to 108. The key hand in the Balderson-Grue head-to-head was a well-timed decision by Terry Beckman to balance at the two level with a four-card suit. Here is Board 13:
♠ A K J 3 Kerry Koch Joey Terry
♡ K 9 5 4 1♡ Pass 1NT Pass
♢ 9 5 4 2♣ Pass 2♡ 2♠!
♣ K 2 All Pass
Not many would risk hazarding a vulnerable two-level overcall with a four-card suit. Terry inferred that his partner was short in hearts and therefore likely to have length in spades. Partner did have four spades and a singleton heart. It ended in a 7-IMP gain.
Paul Meerschaert advises his partners to be reluctant in taking sacrifices against freely bid games and slams unless the expected loss will be negligible. Two of our matches were decided by questionable sacrifices. Here was Board 2:
♠ A 8 7 5 3 2
♡ K Q 9
♢ J
♣ A 10 9
♠ 6 ♠ J 10
♡ 7 6 5 3 ♡ J 8 4
♢ A 10 6 5 4 ♢ Q 9 8 3 2
♣ Q 7 2 ♣ J 6 4
♠ K Q 9 4
♡ A 10 2
♢ K 7
♣ K 8 5 3
Vulnerable against not, South at both tables opened one notrump and West overcalled two diamonds, promising diamonds and a major. At our table, North-South found their spade fit, invoked Roman Keycard, and settled in five spades.
At the other table, Bob and Cindy Balderson reached six spades. East, however, detected a five-five diamond fit and played partner for slightly better cards, and took the seven diamond save. This was doubled and went for 1,700. (The defenders grumbled for about two seconds that they passed up on the 2,000). This was 14 IMPs, and more than offset our side’s failure to reach a grand slam on the previous hand.
Later in the round, Board 16 showed up:
♠ 8 5 3
♡ K 6 5 3
♢ 6 3
♣ Q J 8 5
♠ K 6 4 2 ♠ A Q J 10 9
♡ A 4 2 ♡ 10 9 7
♢ 7 5 4 2 ♢ A Q 9 8
♣ 4 2 ♣ 6
♠ 7
♡ Q J 8
♢ K J 10
♣ A K 10 9 7 3
I was East and I opened one spade. South overcalled two clubs, and Terry bounced into four spades. North, noting the favorable vulnerability, tried five clubs. There was no double, but South had only ten tricks in clubs, while four spades would have been two down.
The lesson of these hands is that unless you are very sure of the relative values of the hands, there is nothing wrong with defending the opponents’ game (or slam) contract.
One last deal deserves discussion—Board 1:
♠ Q 10 4 2
♡ Q J 10 9 5 4
♢ 4
♣ 10 9
♠ A K 7 ♠ 9 3
♡ A K 2 ♡ 7 2
♢ K 7 6 ♢ A Q J 9 5 3
♣ A K J 8 ♣ Q 7 4
♠ J 8 6 5
♡ 8 3
♢ 10 8 2
♣ 6 5 3 2
At our table, North began with a weak two hearts. This was passed around to West, who doubled with his 25-count. East and West were playing Lebensohl, so East’s three diamonds promised eight points or so. West could reasonably visualize 11 tricks and he took what he viewed as a practical leap to six notrump. The queen of clubs and the sixth diamond brought the trick total to 14.
Is there a better approach in dealing with these hands? Yes. When a player has a powerhouse and needs to find something extra, he should cue bid the opponents’ suit. In this instance, the cuebid asks, “Do you have your minimum, or do you have anything more?” In this country, a player announces a minimum by returning to his bid suit. Thus, with ♠Jxx ♡xx ♢AQJxx ♣ xxx, he bids four diamonds.
Many European players are a mite more sophisticated: their negative response after a double and cuebid is a one-step suit, i.e. three spades. Any other bid shows something extra. For example, four diamonds might show ♠Jxx ♡xx ♢AQJxxx ♣ xx, i.e. an extra diamond. The takeout doubler can ask again by cue bidding a second time, i.e. four hearts. This time with the actual hand, ♠xx ♡xx ♢AQJxxx ♣Qxx, East would bid five clubs. The point of all this is that the powerhouse hand does not have to make a unilateral decision on his second bid. All he needs to do is to have confidence that his partner will continue to cooperate in response to his cuebids.
The Brits call the one-step response “Herbert.” In the old days when I was playing a lot with Tony Ames, we used Herbert negatives whenever we doubled and next cue bid. Responder made a “Herbert negative” with up to 3 or 4 points. The powerful hand then scrambled to find a decent landing spot. Responder’s rebid of the major showed five. Consider these hands:
You Partner
♠ K 6 ♠ 8 5 4 3
♡ A 10 4 ♡ 9 7 6 3
♢ A K 6 ♢ 4
♣ A K 10 5 3 ♣ 9 8 7 2
South You North Partner
1♠ Dbl Pass 2♡
Pass 2♠ Pass 2NT
3♣ All Pass
After the cuebid, partner bids the next strain to show a bust. Conventional bidders may get too high here if they have to rebid hearts to deny extras.
You Partner
♠ K Q 8 ♠ 10 9 7 4
♡ A ♡ 8 4 3
♢ A 10 9 3 ♢ K Q 8 5
♣ A K 9 7 5 ♣ 8 4
South You North Partner
1♡ Dbl Pass 1♠
Pass 2♡ Pass 3♢
Pass 4♢ Pass 5♢
All Pass
This time you have questions about spades as the trump suit, so you cue bid the enemy suit. Partner has extras and bids his second suit, leading to a diamond game.
Our best wishes to the Balderson Team
as they battle in the Grand National Teams
We hope everyone enjoyed the fine event
Great seeing everyone - and Thanks for Competing!
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