Good News Comes Via Kabel

Sydney Morning Herald

Wednesday September 3, 2008

Ron Klinger

In Mondays column two pairs in the 2007 Bermuda Bowl reached a grand slam missing an ace. Todays deal comes from the final of the 2007 Transnational Open Teams and the final of the Bermuda Bowl.

Would you believe all four tables played in a slam off two aces? First take a look at the Transnational where North-South played in seven:

South dealer : Both vulnerable

NORTH

(T. Bessis)

West North East South

--- --- --- 2D (1)

Pass 4C Pass 7H???

Pass Pass Dble All pass

(1) Artificial, strong Lead: DA

West shifted to a spade and that was two down for 500. At the other table:

West North East South

Fantoni Balicki Nunes Zmski

--- --- --- 1C (1)

Pass 2C (2) Pass 3H (3)

Pass 4C Pass 4NT (4)

Pass 5S (5) Dble 6H

Pass Pass Pass

(1) Artificial, forcing

(2) Natural, forcing to game

(3) Natural, powerful 1-suiter in hearts

(4) Intended as RKCB on hearts

(5) Taken as RKCB on clubs

Lead: C2?

For a moment South must have felt relief on seeing dummy and the club lead.

It was short-lived. East ruffed the second club and declarer had to lose two aces for

one down, but a gain of 9 Imps.

What these auctions demonstrate is the lack of method or the inadequacy of method for such hands. While it arises rarely, Kabel 3NT (specific ace ask) is

ideal to solve such problems.

West North East South

--- --- --- 3NT (1)

Pass 5C (2) Pass 5H

Pass Pass Pass

(1) Any aces, partner?

(2) CA only

A variation where the 4C reply to 3NT shows 0 or 1 ace (4D then asks) is even better. The bidding goes 3NT : 4C, 4H, all pass. Notice that 4NT, specific ace ask, will not do if the answer has to be 5S or 6C to show that ace only.

Mind you, the Bermuda Bowl auctions were also found wanting:

West North East South

Bland Wstein Sminde Garner

--- --- --- 2C

Pass 3C Pass 3H

Pass 6C All pass

Lead: DA

West shifted to a spade for +100.

West North East South

Zia Helgemo Rberg Helness

--- --- --- 2C

Pass 3C 3S 4H

4S 6C Pass 6H

Pass Pass Pass

6C has no real chance on any lead (other than a low spade) and neither has 6H, except on a trump lead. Guess what Zia led. Yep, a trump and Helness made all the tricks for +1460 and +17 Imps.

This was near the end of the final and would have made little inroad to Norways winning margin of 334-245.5. Still, it was a strange choice of lead. In one of my intermediate-advanced classes on opening leads, a principle is emphasised again and again: If dummy has shown a good, long suit, lead an unbid suit. Do not lead dummys long suit and do not lead a trump. As declarer will use dummys long suit for discards, attack in an unbid suit to try to score your tricks before they vanish.

My partners bidding seems reasonable.

Obviously time to up my medication.

Tomorrows problem:

West dealer : East-West vulnerable

NORTH

South is in 4S after North opened 1C and East overcalled 1H. No other East-West

bidding. West leads the H10. Plan the play.

© 2008 Sydney Morning Herald

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