[Echognome]

Scoring: IMP

---

I know of at least one pair that opened the north hand 1NT.

As you can see, 6♣ is frigid and 7♣ is a very good contract. Not all that easy to find (although I'm sure Richard and Free will tell you otherwise). Most of the pairs got to the small slam and few to the grand. I'll let them tell you how.

[keylime]

A
A83
AJ87
QT763

853
KQT75
Q
AK54

Not that hard to get to really (KLPV16 auction):

2S* (both minors, 11-15, emphasis on clubs) - 2NT* (asking)
3C* (heart fragment) - 3D* (forces 3H)
3H* (forced) - 4C* (shows by implication dual fit, slammish)
4D (cue) - 4H (cue)
4S (cue) - 4NT* (slam possible?)
5S* (heck yeah, spades are no problem) - 7C (Pard, you are the superstar baby!)

OK, back to reality now. In standard it takes a little bit more work but you can get there too:

1D - 1H
2C - 3C (invite)
3H - 4D (cue, somewhat interested)
5NT (pick your slam pard, yes I have the diamond ace too) - 7C (ty very much, we don't need no stinkin' Precision, bah humbug)

[inquiry]

1♣-1♥
2♦-2♠
3♥-4♣
4♥-Pass

This is our third actual disaster of the 12 boards (the other 9 are actually pretty good), as we failed to reach magic 7♣ or only slightly inferior 7♥, despite being on the right track from early in the auction. We had a bidding misunderstanding that is not part of the system.

On this auction, 2♦ was the same potential artificial reverse as on Board 6. Again, this either shows 17-19 balanced, a one suiter with great clubs (no more than 9 tricks), or a reverse with exactly 4♦, 5+♣. This time, Han’s 2♠ was an artificial waiting bid to hear clarification of hand type (additional options were available to Hannie as well, see below, and would have been better).

My 3♥ showed three card support, good hand, with some clear inferences. First is that I lacked 6+ good ♣ (rebid over 1♥ would have been 3♣ showing 3 card support, six clubs, good hand). Second, I lacked 4♠ (reverse in spades or “forcing 1♠” would have come first). Third, I is not 4432 or 4333 or he would rebid 2NT). So the distribution will surely be 1-3-4-5, 1-3-3-6, or possibly 3-3-1-6 (later unexpected), the six clubs is especially possible given Han holds the ♣AK (my six card suit unlikely to be good enough for jump rebid in this case).

Over 3♥, 3NT would not be serious 3NT, since we have not established a certain adequate heart fit (Han could have four), but would instead suggest a contract. Here we seemed to have some confusion over the meaning of 4♣. It appears Hannie meant it as a cue-bid agreeing hearts, and I took it as either a bid setting clubs as trumps, or an advanced cue-bid. My 3♥ rebid has a fairly large range, and I am dead minimum for that bid (15 hcp with weak clubs), so after the initial reverse, 4♥ seemed the most I could do over 4♣, as my hand can hardly be any weaker than it is for this auction. With a better hand, I would have bid something other than 4♥. Unfortunately, Hannie seems to have taken this as a denial of a spade stopper.

I think, like hand two where I evaluated my hand opposite a heart stiff as worthy of slam try, perhaps a similar evaluation needs to be made here and a clear slam try made over 4♥. The great clubs (my first suit) and good hearts, require another bid, but it is true that I might interpret 5♣ still as hearts are inadequate.

Hannie had some additional options over 2♦ rather than the nebulous 2♠ bid. He could have bid, for instance, 2NT (transfer to 3♣ then 3NT as a slam try in clubs. He could have bid 3♦ to show a good five card ♥ suit and game force, planning on raising ♣ next (getting us to grand slam in clubs easily) (1C-1H-2D-2S-3D-3H-4C-4NT=two suit agreement blackwood, etc).

The problem I had on this auction is that if Hannie had good five plus hearts (which he needs for good slam try), he would have gone via one of the other forcing routes. So while he may have been thinking slam slam slam when he bid 4♣, I was thinking find best strain.

This hand may help us clarify this type of auction for the future. Clearly responder should either clarify slam interest with 3♦ or 2NT initial response or, after the 3♥ raise take control of the auction with a clear slam try (it is not exactly sure what that should be then, however). Even a jump to 4♣ over 2♦, would have worked great.

Suggested systemic auction should be...
1C-1H
2D-3D*
3H-4C*
4N*-5S*
5N* - 6D*
7H - Pass

3D = game force, good 5+ hearts. Will not have ♠ as second suit. 3♥ = at least Hx of ♥, not balanced 17-19 or bid 3NT, thus 5+ clubs. 4♣ = support, 4NT = two suit agreement blackwood, 5S = three key cards (AK of clubs, King of hearts), 5NT = queen ask, 6♦ = one queen. 7C/7H = I think we have 13 tricks, 1S, 1D, 1S ruff, 5H, 5C.

[hrothgar]

Relay systems shine on this sort of hand...

In theory, Free should write this hand up, cause he did all the hard work:

1♣ - 1♦
1♠ - 1N
2♠ - 2N
3♣ - 3♦
3♥ - 4♣
4♥ - 4♠
4N - 7♣

Here are the bids that I consider "interesting"

1♣ = strong, artificial, and forcing. (note how light out 1♣ can be)
1♦ = artificial game force (denies 5440 or a solid 7 card suit)
1♠ = Minimum 1♣ ("good" strong club openings would ask, not show)
3♥ = 1-3-4-5 shape Complete shape at 3♥
4♣ = RKCB for Clubs - Good choice by Free to use RKCB and not Slam Points
4♥ = 0 or 3 Aces
4♠ = Queen Ask
4N = Yes I have the Queen. Axxx or KQxx in Diamonds

[awm]

Yup, a good hand for relay methods, as are many hands where you have game-forcing values, a making slam, and silent opponents.

Elianna and I produced this auction playing standard:

1♣ - 1♥
2♥ - 4♥

Both of us took very conservative views on our hands -- I rebid only 2♥ where I could have reversed to 2♦ and then shown my three-card support. The second sequence should show a slightly stronger hand, my actual sequence a slightly weaker one; the actual hand is sort of "in-between" values but likely I should've chosen the upgrade. I felt that stiff ♠A was likely to be a poor card (singleton aces are often overrated).

Elianna was looking at a double fit in the round suits, but not a lot extra in terms of high card values. She could have tried a (natural and game forcing) 3♣ call, which should propel us to at least 6♣, but instead chose to simply blast the game.

I think this was a typical case where we both have borderline hands, and chose the conservative path -- something that can happen in most any system. Methods are not really to blame here -- either one of us could have propelled the partnership to slam by making a slightly stronger call.

[Cascade]

We had an accident on this hand. Kermit took a phone call during the bidding and while distracted by the phonecall tried to continue bidding and misbid. Our kind moderator let us rebid the hand. I think it is routine that we will get to a small slam and we have excellent prospects of getting to the grand.

1♣ 2♥
3♦ 3♥
4♥ 4♠
4NT 6♥

2♥ is a fit jump promising at least 4 hearts at least 4 clubs and at least 10 hcp

3♦ establishes a GF and is semi-natural

3♥ showed an extra heart

4♥ showed support and enabled responder to picture the singleton spade

4♠ was kickback RKCB

4NT showed 0 or 3 key cards

6♥ was a little lazy. We had available 5♦ to ask for the ♥Q, 5♠ to ask for Kings so 5NT should have asked for something else. Opener would have appreciated that the ♣Q was a key-card and bid the Grand.

If we did not have the double fit then we have the agreement that 6♣ after RKCB would ask partner to bid seven with the ♣Q. Here though with the double fit this would have been an offer to play in clubs rather than hearts.

[han]

I am surprised that they couldn't find a bid over the strong club. After all, they have a 9-card spade fit and are not vulnerable. Perhaps they were not used to playing against a strong club. Very nice auction though Richard and Frederick!


Ben, I have some questions about your suggested auction:

Why does 5S show 3 keycards? I tried to go to your Kantar-RKC notes but the link seems to be closed. My interpretation from your notes is that 3D shows a gameforce, say about 8+points. I don't understand why you wouldn't bid 3H with any balanced hand containing 3 hearts. I would think that 3NT denies heart support. Is 4C necessarily a slam try, can't it be an 8-count looking for the best strain?

[inquiry]

Hannie, on Nov 21 2005, 03:24 PM, said:

Ben, I have some questions about your suggested auction:

Why does 5S show 3 keycards? I tried to go to your Kantar-RKC notes but the link seems to be closed. My interpretation from your notes is that 3D shows a gameforce, say about 8+points. I don't understand why you wouldn't bid 3H with any balanced hand containing 3 hearts. I would think that 3NT denies heart support. Is 4C necessarily a slam try, can't it be an 8-count looking for the best strain?

Regardles of how many ponits 3♦ showed, it is Game force and 3♥ accepted hearts. 4♣ now has to be slam try. I think this should be secondary fit, however. Now 4NT is RKCB, two suit agreement. We have bid and raised both suits. I mistyped 5♠ I guess, the response is the one that shows 3 key cards, that would be 5♦, then 5♠ would ask for queens. I got ahead of myself.

As far as eight count... with hearts, while that might be possible, I tend to think this is a little stronger. after all, keep in mind a third auction that we didn't use..which is 4th suit forcing (as you did), and then rebid hearts (to show GF hand but less slam interest)... the invitational auction with heart one suiter is 2NT (transfer to 3♣ then 3♥. It is true, that after I "raise" hearts, over your 2♠ bid, you didn't have a chance to separate between the various hands. but if you had just 8 to 10 points and five hearts, you would happily rebid 4♥. So still, the auction with the transfer to ♥ then bid clubs shows better than 8, in fact, something close to this hand.

You could have gone with the club slam try (mild or strong) by going with 2NT (transfer to 3♣ then rebid 3NT or jump to 4♣ over 2♦. Over 2NTI would have patterned out with 3♥ instead of the expected 3♣ and you could have reverted back to six keycard blackwood.

[han]

Yep, that all makes sense.

[Elianna]

awm, on Nov 21 2005, 01:21 PM, said:

Elianna was looking at a double fit in the round suits, but not a lot extra in terms of high card values. She could have tried a (natural and game forcing) 3♣ call, which should propel us to at least 6♣, but instead chose to simply blast the game.

Yea, while I'm aggressive about looking for games, etc, I kinda tend to give up on slams.

I really should have bid 3♣, but I was getting tired. This definitely WASN'T my worst bid of the set (as a preview of the other boards).

[mike777]

This was our bidding:

1NT=2D
2H=3C
4C=4D
4H=4S
5S=7C

1NT=14-16. We have a partnership AGREEMENT that 1nt can be offshape often. We do not have a Partnership UNDERSTANDING on the definition of offshape.
2D=tfr
2H=non super accept
3C=4+, game force
4C=I really disagee with partner's bid here. I think he should bid 3D as ace of D and agreeing clubs. In that case 4Clubs could deny A of D and A of S. But I know he hates to cuebid so......
4D=Kickback, rkc, partner really loves to use/overuse this gadget so I humor him.
4H=0-3
4S=Q of trump ask
5S=shows Q of clubs, K of spades, denies K of D and K of H.
7C=Partner has shown 17 hcp in a 14-16 nt opening bid . AK of spades, A of H, A of D and Q of clubs. I am betting he has funny hand with funny spades.

[Fluffy]

My transfer walsh would do poorly.

After 1♣-1♦-1♥-4♦ it would be very hard to play in ♣s, reaching 7 also quite hard because finding ♠A bare or ♣AKxx would not be easy.

[Gerben42]

My Fantunes would get this auction:

N: 1♦ (if you hate this because you are purist or whatever, don't look, it's the system bid)
S: 1♠ (shows ♥)
N: 2♥ (can be 3 cards, not forcing)
S: 2♠ (Alster relay)
N: 3♣ (short ♠)
S: 3♦ (relay for trump length)
N: 3♥ (only 3 hearts and therefore 13(54))

Now all is set to find the ♣ slam, probably will end up in 6 only though.

[hrothgar]

Gerben42, on Nov 22 2005, 06:55 PM, said:

My Fantunes would get this auction:

N: 1♦ (if you hate this because you are purist or whatever, don't look, it's the system bid)
S: 1♠ (shows ♥)
N: 2♥ (can be 3 cards, not forcing)
S: 2♠ (Alster relay)
N: 3♣ (short ♠)
S: 3♦ (relay for trump length)
N: 3♥ (only 3 hearts and therefore 13(54))

Now all is set to find the ♣ slam, probably will end up in 6 only though.

Wow...

Big difference in approach

MOSCITO is opens a hand with using a strong club

F+N system choses a constructive opening (1♦), but then makes a natural and non-forcing raise to 2♥

[cherdano]

Jlall, on Nov 28 2005, 06:40 PM, said:

I chose to open the north hand 1N as I would in real life. Our auction proceeded

2D-2H
2N*(4+ clubs GF)-3C
3S(showing 3 spades).

At this point I LOVED my hand. Although partner hadn't shown any slam aspirations yet, I launched into keycard then bid 5N over the response and we got to 7C.

This is a nice auction. I am more and more convinced that bidding out shape is the key to good slam auctions.

Arend

[pclayton]

1♣ - 1♥
2♥ - 3♣
3♦ - 4♣
4♠ - 5♥
5♠ - 6♣
7♥


3♣ is natural and forward going and guarantees an 8 card heart fit.

3♦ / 4♣ = cues.
4♠ = kickback

[tysen2k]

We also reached a grand, but in hearts:

1♣ - 1NT
2♥ - 3♣
3♥ - 4♣
4♦ - 4NT
5♣ - 6♣
7♥ - P

1♣ = art strong
1NT = 9+ HCP, 5+♥
2♥ = total control ask
3♣ = 4
3♥ = TAB
4♣ = 5 w/ 2 of top 3
4♦ = CAB
4NT = 2nd round
5♣ = CAB
6♣ = AK or AQ