[twcho]

Scoring: IMP

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Do you agree 7♣ a good contract? If so, how to reach it?

[FrancesHinden]

Yes, 7♣ is a pretty good contract.

On a spade lead it is hue (SA, CA, S ruff, CK; if trumps are 4-1 draw trumps and hope hearts run or you have a squeeze; otherwise S ruff, DK, draw the last trump, AKQ of hearts, H ruff, DA).

On a different lead you can't manage two spade ruffs, but you are still making with either hearts 3-2 or various (not desperately probable) squeezes - the worst lead is a diamond; win somewhere, SA, CA, S ruff, draw trumps, decide which squeeze you are playing for and go back and win the opening lead in the relevant hand.

It is not easy to get there. Most systems will start

1C - 1H
1NT

and now it depends on your methods.

I could construct an auction to 7C, but I bet I'd be in 6H at the table.

If East starts with a strong jump shift, West may raise hearts and now it is harder to get to clubs.

[ArtK78]

7♣ is a reasonable contract. I suspect that it is in the neighborhood of 72%, which is just above the minimum that you need to bid a grand slam when a small slam is 100%. But since a small slam is not 100%, and since 6♥ and 6NT will go down whenever 7♣ fails, it makes bidding 7C a better bet.

[kenrexford]

This is an inreresting set of hands.

Opener starts with 1♣, of course.
Responder bids 1♥, of course.
Opener rebids 1NT, of course. He has 2-3♠, 2-3♥, and therefore 4+ clubs.
Responder bids 2♦, GF (2-way checkback).
Opener bids 2♥ (three-piece hearts).

Now it gets interesting. If Responder cannot make a Picture Jump (he cannot) or a Splinter (he cannot), then he has three options, as I play, to show slam interest with hearts established as trumps(4♥ ends the auction):

2NT denies two top hearts.
3♠ shows precisely two top hearts and a spade control.
3♥ shows either two top trumps without a spade control, or three top trumps.

So, Responder bids 3♥.

Now to Opener. Opener does not know if spades are or are not controlled by Responder. However, if Opener bypasses 3♠ (no spade control) to make a cuebid, the auction will only be relevant for slam purposes when Responder has a spade control. For Responder to have a spade control, responder must also have all three top hearts.

Thus, for Opener to be "serious, without a spade control," he must have a balanced 11-14 hand without any top heart honor and without a spade control. With the actual hand (four key cards in the minors, solid clubs, spade teriary), he could justifably bid 3NT serious. If he does not read this as strong enough, he can cue 4♣ (two of the top three clubs).

Whichever positon Opener takes, Responder can bid 5♣. This is not Exclusion, as Responder could have (and would have) bid 5♣ as Exclusion directly after 2♥ if he had held the hand that he will now have to bid 5♣.

5♣, if not Exclusion, is played (in my methods) as "1430 RKCB," but with the King and Queen of trumps (hearts) not being key cards. Instead, the King and Queen of the bid suit (clubs) are the new "key cards." This is done, frequently, for cases like this, or when an unknown side suit control situation is key and the focus suit controls are known.

Opener will respond 5NT (two with the Queen). Responder now expects four clubs, the spade Ace, a spade ruff, five hearts, and a diamond, for starters (12 Tricks). That gives Opener nine known points. A second spade ruff is probably sufficient for the 13th trick, or a fifth club, or the diamond King, or a squeeze. In other words, the diamond King is somewhat fluff.

However, Responder might be cautious here, if Opener had low-balled (if 3NT Serious was elected way back, the grand cannot be wrong). He could bid 5♦ as Last Train (6♣ should be to play, as would 6♥).

After 5♦, Opener would resign at 6♥ if he had (a.) no fifth club and (b.) no diamond King. As it is, with the diamond King that has never been shown (asxsuming 4♣), Opener accepts, bidding 7♣ to ensure that Responder's master plan possibilities are not bypassed.

[Echognome]

I would not be in 7♣ in any of the systems I play. West would open or rebid to show a weak NT and East would be hard-pressed to to find 7♣ after West has shown three card support.

[jdonn]

I don't think one is as unrealistic as it is being made out to be. Something like
1♣ 1♥
1NT 2♦
2♥ 3♣
4♣
seems like a totally normal start, and then why shouldn't responder be able to bid keycard for clubs, or both suits, then find a king and place the contract?

[ArcLight]

1♣ - 2♥
3♥ -

Now hearts is set as the trump suit. I dont see how you can find Clubs

[Echognome]

jdonn, on Aug 2 2007, 08:42 AM, said:

I don't think one is as unrealistic as it is being made out to be. Something like
1♣ 1♥
1NT 2♦
2♥ 3♣
4♣
seems like a totally normal start, and then why shouldn't responder be able to bid keycard for clubs, or both suits, then find a king and place the contract?

Give opener the same hand with Qxx of diamonds.

[jdonn]

Echognome, on Aug 2 2007, 01:55 PM, said:

jdonn, on Aug 2 2007, 08:42 AM, said:

I don't think one is as unrealistic as it is being made out to be. Something like
1♣ 1♥
1NT    2♦
2♥ 3♣
4♣
seems like a totally normal start, and then why shouldn't responder be able to bid keycard for clubs, or both suits, then find a king and place the contract?

Give opener the same hand with Qxx of diamonds.

It's a good thing that blackwood guy invented a way to ask for kings which will still let us play 6 when opener doesn't have any. I seem to have mentioned that when I posted as well.

[Echognome]

jdonn, on Aug 2 2007, 11:10 AM, said:

It's a good thing that blackwood guy invented a way to ask for kings which will still let us play 6 when opener doesn't have any. I seem to have mentioned that when I posted as well.

He was a crafty little fellow.

My point is that you are going to hear what after 4♣? If responder bids 4NT now, he's at slam. If responder cuebids, what is opener supposed to do without anything to cuebid?

Edit: I guess the point is that you are driving to slam regardless.

[P_Marlowe]

twcho, on Aug 2 2007, 02:16 AM, said:

Scoring: IMP

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Do you agree 7♣ a good contract? If so, how to reach it?

#1 yes
#2 hard to reach, given the fit in hearts
1C (1) - 1H
1NT - 2D (2)
3H (2) - 3S (3)
4C (3) - 4NT(4)
5D (4) -6H (5)

(1) System: standard American
(2) NMF, 3 hearts, maximum
(3) Cues
(4) RKCB, 1 Key card
(5) what else?

With kind regards
Marlowe

[Impact]

Yes

1NT (13-15) 2C (Stayman)
2D 2S ®
2NT (C only) 3C®
3NT (3-3-3-4) 4C ®
4H (4cont) 4S®
4NT (CAKQ) 7C

QED but of course the distribution will doom me...
regards

[sheepman]

1NT-2♦
2♥-2NT
3♣-off we go

1NT 14-16
2NT 4+♣ GF
3♣ I have 4+

What do I win?