Some Problems from the Toronto Nationals 2001

Today's panelists: Barry Rigal, Ed Davis, Dan Hugh-Jones, Kent Hartman, Mike Shuster, Robb Gordon, Bobby Bodenheimer, Andy Lewis, Walter Hamilton, Joel Wooldridge, Michael Schreiber

These must have been good problems. Other than problem 4, opinions are very split on all the problems. And even #4 has vast disagreement about what partner's bid meant. Three of the problems got four or more different answers and all the two-way choices are nearly exactly equal.

IMPs, both vul, you hold
x AJx KQJxxxxx J
You are dealer. What do you open? If you open 1 and partner bids 1, what is your planned rebid?

BARRY
1 then 2. Unimaginative but in an unopposed sequence partner normally has the GF hand type. The issue is whether to bid over a 2nd round 3NT. I vote yes — 4. (By the way though I was at Toronto of course I missed all the pair games etc. so will be able to provide unbiased wrong answers.)
DAN
I open 1 and rebid 3. If I were prepared to bid 5 on this I would have opened 5. The problem is coming on the next round...
ED
4 opening. 1, then 2 otherwise.
KENT
Yes, I'd open 1. Partner can respond 1 on air and will expect more in high cards for a 3 rebid. I'm rebidding 2 and will bid 4 over partner's rebid of anything other than 3.
MIKE
1. It is not my style to preempt with the best hand at the table. The question of 2/3/5 diamonds is tough, but lacking the A 3 is a little wrong. Maybe reel it in and hope 2 doesn't end the auction.
ROBB
Just 1 and 2, unless I am steaming, then 5.
BOBBY
I open 1. Once I've done that, I think 3 is my only rebid, even though it misrepresents my hand. I'll bid 4 over any continuation by partner.
ANDY
1. 3. Not happily, but what else is there? 2 is a sick underbid, 4 shows spade support, and 2 just seems misguided.
WALTER
1, then 3
JOEL
I open 1. Over 1, I'll bid 2. I know this bid isn't perfect, but I don't see any other sensible way to work on the club problem for notrump. The other option, 3, would preempt the level too high to intelligently think about the club stopper. Of course if partner raises hearts, I'll retreat to diamonds at every opportunity.
MICHAEL
I open 1. I know it gives up on a high-level mistake by them, but I don't know game is on for either side. If I open 1, I rebid 3, because at some point in time you have to show some extra strength.
JEFF AT THE TABLE
1, then 2.
CONSENSUS

1...2 5

1...3 5

1...2 1

4 1

WINNING ACTION
Partner has Axxx Qx Axx KQxx. Some panelists think we'll get to slam after 1-1; 2. They may be right, but I'm not convinced. There are clearly some sequences that will succeed, but we, for example, didn't find one. At the other table, the auction went 5-6, score it up. The 3 rebidders seem pretty likely to reach slam.
JEFF UPON REFLECTION
1, then 2 still seems right. I think my later actions were wrong; our auction went 1-1; 2-3; 3NT. I think I should bid 3 or, better, 4, over 3. I'm not sure either action will get us to slam, but 3NT was not a good call.
Upon later reflection, doesn't the sequence 1, then 5 show roughly this hand, a good 8-card suit and a side ace? I wonder why no one mentioned that.
MPs, none vul, you hold
10843 862 KQ64 K8

RHO You LHO CHO

Pass Pass Pass 1NT (15-17)

Pass ?

BARRY
Pass, even finding the 4-4 spade fit may not be an unalloyed joy. The KQ together makes this worth more than some 8s and with Kxx and xx you might tempt me into Stayman and pass. Not here.
ED
2
KENT
At the table, I'd probably bid 2 and invite over any rebid. In this context, I'll pass and hope to beat the weak notrumpers who find a spade fit. This isn't a very good eight count.
MIKE
Easy pass. No spot in my KQxx, minimum invite at MPs - better not to get too high. If the opponents balance, they might be in trouble.
ROBB
Pass.
BOBBY
I think this hand is invitational. I invite through Stayman, taking spades if pard has 4, otherwise NT.
ANDY
Pass. Not quite strong enough to invite. At IMPs, I might bid stayman, inviting game over 2 and passing over 2 of a red suit, but at MPs this is too risky.
WALTER
2 I'll pass 2 and bid 2NT over other bids.
JOEL
Although it could easily be right to pass, I'm going to bid 2 as a 2 way shot. Either we land in a 4-4 spade fit, or we press onto a game that makes. I don't really think this is a sound invite, but I'm not reluctant with good honor cards and a KQxx suit. If partner bids 2 over 2, I think it's very close between pass and 3 only because of the form of scoring. If partner may be opening 1NT on a 5 card major, then I think it's better to raise.
MICHAEL
Pass. Seems pretty clear to me.
JEFF AT THE TABLE
2
WINNING ACTION
Pass. Partner has A92 AJ AJ83 Q952
CONSENSUS

Pass 5.5

2 5.5

JEFF UPON REFLECTION
I've changed my mind. This hand is not good enough to invite at matchpoints. At IMPs, I might do it again. At MPs, get the plus score. The biggest danger is that the inviters might find a 4-4 spade fit, but +90 might beat them anyway when they get too high.
IMPs, none vul, you hold
AJxx Axx 10xxx xx

RHO You LHO CHO

1 Pass 2 Pass

Pass ?

BARRY
2. OK cart me away, but ich kanne nicht oder or however it was that Martin Luther put it.
DAN
Very close to my mind. I'd probably double. Are those x's real x's? I assume pard will bid 2NT with no clear preference for a minor, so I'll pass 3.
ED
Dbl if partner bids 2NT to play in one of the minors. If no such agreement, I bid 2.
KENT
Pass. One ace is hitting shortness. I have a balanced nine loser hand; if we're being stolen from, so be. Partner with Txxxxx xx AKxx x isn't bidding 2 in a live auction. Of course if I double, he'll hold xxx KJ Qxx Kxxxx.
MIKE
Ugly, but partner couldn't bid holding short hearts and values. I'd like to push them up, but double (or worse, 2) doesn't rate to get a plus score against competent opposition. They can just defend and beat us. Better to pass and avoid something worse's happening.
ROBB
2 (can't help myself, might have overcalled the first time).
BOBBY
I double. I have enough to balance. When CHO responds 3 I'll bid 3 and hope it plays there or they compete. 2NT is choice of minors, so 3 after that as well.
ANDY
2.
WALTER
pass
JOEL
2. I think it's close between this and double, but I'm not passing. It's too likely to be necessary to compete to get a plus score.
MICHAEL
2. If I say double, partner might have six clubs or four diamonds [How about both? --Jeff], but I like that we are still at the two level.
JEFF AT THE TABLE
2
CONSENSUS

2 6

Double 3

Pass 3

WINNING ACTION
Partner has K xx KJ9x KJxxxx and inexplicably passed 2. (Ed would have, too, playing me for J109xxx KQx xxx x, so perhaps "inexplicably" is too harsh. On the other hand, Michael thinks partner should bid 3 over 2; if he didn't overcall 1, 2 is going to be terrible.) 3 and 3 have play, but will probably go down. 2 looks makable, but did, in fact, go down at the other table.
JEFF UPON REFLECTION
it's awfully close. I'm not sure that the risk/reward ratio is positive, but in a short match, the number of small gains will be larger than the number of big losses, so perhaps one should bid in Swiss matches and pass in KOs. Tough call. The actual result isn't helpful, of course. For what it's worth, I managed to take five tricks in spades for -150.
There appears to be a real style difference between the 2 bidders and the doublers. This is a good hand to discuss with partner; should he be moving over 2 with stiff king or not? What is the difference between 2 and double?
MPs, both vul, you hold
Axx Q98 xxxx Jxx

CHO RHO You LHO

1 1 Pass 2

2NT Pass ?

BARRY
3NT. Quoi (multilingual today aren't we). In England the magazine Private Eye uses the line "Shrely Shome mistake ?" to indicate complete amazement. 'What else pray?' might cover the bases too. [How about "que?"? That is, what is 2NT? Maybe there are alternatives once that is answered. --Jeff]
DAN
Have we no agreement about this or similar sequences? I'd probably bid 3NT. If pard intended this as 4-6 in the minors he can pull if he wants, and I can run if they double.
ED
3NT
KENT
3NT. Looks as if it's from the wrong side, but I'll take my chances. I'm assuming partner is 4-6 in the minors with extras.
MIKE
3NT. If partner thinks he can make 2NT, then I think he can make 3NT. If he thinks he can make 3, then he can make 4
ROBB
if that is natural, 3NT. If it is good/bad, 3. What is the problem?
BOBBY
My understanding regarding this sequence is that it shows a good 19 count. I bid 3NT.
ANDY
Any agreements on 2NT? If it's competing in the minors, 3. Partner (if playing Mike-style: always 1 with 4=4, never 1 with 4=5) is most likely 2=2=4=5 (opponents don't seem to have a 9-card fit) and I think diamonds will play a hair better than clubs on average. If 2NT=18-19 with stoppers, then 3NT seems obvious. If I'm unsure of the meaning, I'll bid 3NT. I think "minors" is more likely the intended meaning on this auction, but if I guess that and am wrong, it is a bigger disaster. [Not a good argument at matchpoints. At MPs, it doesn't matter much by how much you are wrong. --Jeff]
WALTER
3NT. If CHO is (12 21)46 then the opponents have a nine and an eight card fit. Wouldn't one of the opponents raise their partner? You also have dbl and 2 as takeout bids.
JOEL
3. I think that should be the minors. My hand isn't good enough for a stronger action with xxxx. Of course a natural 2NT I'd raise to 3NT, but I wouldn't expect this 2NT to be natural.
MICHAEL
4. I would have bid 1NT the first time around, [Not unreasonable, but with a minimum and a possibly anti-positional spade stopper, I wouldn't. --Jeff] but given a pass, I think he's showing a decent hand with 4-6 in the minors. If partner is trying to get to 3NT, he should cue bid his major stopper, which is almost always going to be the Ace.
JEFF AT THE TABLE
3.
WINNING ACTION
3NT
CONSENSUS
3NT
CONSENSUS ABOUT WHAT 2NT MEANS
none
JEFF UPON REFLECTION
This was a new partnership, so I was guessing as to what partner intended. Does he have a big balanced hand (no, he should double, I think)? Does he have about 8 tricks in hand (no, he should bid 3NT and not risk a disaster, I think)? Does he have 4-6 in the minors (no, he should probably just try 3 and not risk a silly result)? Is he trying Good/Bad 2NT (no, we weren't playing it on except in one discussed sequence)? Probably he has one of those hands. On any of them, he could have avoided making me guess what he's doing, so that doesn't help. Is one action likely to be more successful than the others when wrong? Hard to say. Upon final reflection, I'm guessing that without discussion, 2NT should be naturalish, so the raise to 3NT seems best.
IMPs, none vul, you hold
105 108 K874 AKQJ4
Partner opens 1NT (10-12).
What's your plan?

BARRY
Invite in no-trumps seems right not drive to game in NT. If I had a way to describe my hand (I don't in my methods) I would, but 5-5 in minors forcing might do it! [System issues in this forum are simple: play what you want unless specified otherwise. --Jeff]
DAN
Pass.
ED
Invite game showing a club one-suiter.
KENT
3NT. They may need to cash the first five tricks to beat it, and have a blind lead on this auction. Of course, they may be cashing the first ten tricks in the majors.
MIKE
Natural 2NT is out unfortunately, so I puppet to 2NT to invite game opposite a maximum. Or is that too deep?
ROBB
I plan to bid 3NT and hope they guess wrong.
BOBBY
The 10s convince me: 2NT invitational (or whatever sequence works out to that).
ANDY
Pass. Compete in clubs over 2M, hope to make an intelligent decision over 3M.
WALTER
3NT. It works for Meckwell
JOEL
I'll show invitational clubs/minors, however your system allows. If that's not available, I'll signoff in clubs.
MICHAEL
3NT. I have too many tricks not to take a shot at 3NT.
JEFF AT THE TABLE
3NT
WINNING ACTION
3NT. If you bid slowly, LHO will bid and get a favorable lead; thereafter, no game will make your way. If you blast, they'll lead diamonds and partner will make 9 tricks quickly.
CONSENSUS

Pass 2

Invite 5

Game 5

JEFF UPON REFLECTION
If 2NT were natural, I'd do it. If I could bid 3 directly invitationally, I'd do it. Otherwise, I want some bid that will shut out the majors. All that's left is a direct 3NT. Upon reflection, I'm sticking to my guns.
IMPs, unfavorable, you hold
x K10x Q109xxx 10xx

CHO RHO You LHO

1 2 Pass 3

Dbl Pass 4 Pass

4 Pass ?

BARRY
5. Glad it is IMPs. It is a tough problem at other scoring. Closer to 6 than anything else I believe if I bid on. I expect 4-6 and a great hand opposite.
DAN
5
ED
4NT. It seems unlikely that partner has three diamonds but I'll try 4NT just in case. I would have jumped to 5 over 3X.
KENT
Pass. Sounds like partner is 2416; this may have a better shot than 5.
MIKE
This time pass. Partner will find the winning line in 4 — and unfortunately reject it.
ROBB
5. 4 is reasonable, but partner may have already inferred the singleton.
BOBBY
One thing I'm not going to do is bid 4 or 4NT since the auction is already confused enough. 4 playing the 4-3 might work, but doesn't look pretty. Partner has a strong hand. I think his shape is either 3424 ( Kxx AQxx Kx AKxx) or 3415 ( Axx AQxx x AKQxx). I think that the first hand is more likely, since partner might have tried 4 with the second hand, foreseeing this dilemma. Given this, I'll bid 5.
ANDY
5. Another close decision. Partner should have 4 good hearts and 5 or 6 clubs on this auction. 4 will be better if we are booked to lose a trick in each side suit, but even with solid hearts and the spade ruff coming in the short hand, 4 will be in danger when things aren't splitting, as is likely.
WALTER
Pass
JOEL
I disagree with the 4 bid. We would've already been in game after the x of 3. Over 4 I'll bid 4. I think this is reasonable, considering that I've already underbid my hand so much up till now. I could be very wrong if partner doesn't let me out of hearts, thinking I'm 4-6 in the red suits, but could I really have that shape? Wouldn't I have done something different besides 4 with slammish values? — I think so.
MICHAEL
I would have bid 5 on the previous round, but given that I didn't, I'm going to bid 5 now. Partner may have only Kx with some really great 6-4 hand.
JEFF AT THE TABLE
Pass
WINNING ACTION
5. Partner has Axx AQxx K AKQ8x. Hearts are 4-2 with the jack dropping, and clubs are 4-1. 5 is cold. 4 can be made, but probably will not be, and wasn't. 5 is hopeless, off three trump tricks (assuming they find a club or heart ruff, which is not too hard).
CONSENSUS

Pass 4

4 1

4NT 1

5 4

5 2

JEFF UPON REFLECTION
I like Ed's 4NT. I'm not sure if passing 4 is better or worse than bidding 5, but adding in the bonus that we can get to diamonds when it's right is enough vigorish that I'll try it. If it had occurred to me at the table, I'd've bid it, but sad to say, it didn't.
IMPs, both vul, you hold
QJxxx K10 Jxxx xx

CHO RHO You LHO

1 2 Dbl 3

4 Pass ?

BARRY
4. The fifth spade makes this reasonable but 4 might well be right. No strong feelings.
DAN
4
ED
4
KENT
4. Partner had better be prepared for this. I would have passed over 2.
MIKE
4 — a 2-way shot. I really can't have better heart support than this. If partner is cuebidding for spades, the K won't be a disappointment (although I will pass 4). He could hold AKxx AQJxx Axx x or something similar, but he could also hold very long hearts with 4 spades, in which case 4 will be the right final contract.
ROBB
4
BOBBY
4 seems right. The cue-bid in this situation is quite uninformative but should indicate that I have a choice of contracts.
ANDY
4. Gives partner the choice of games, and also lets him declare if he chooses spades. He shouldn't play me for better hearts than this.
WALTER
4
JOEL
I think it's close between 4 and 4. I guess it's a 4 bid, but I'm not proud of it. The 5th spade is what's talking me into this action.
MICHAEL
4. If partner now bids 4, I will bid 5.
JEFF AT THE TABLE
4
WINNING ACTION
Any. Partner has AKxx A9xxxxx — Jx. 4 is not quite as good as 4, but both make easily as the cards lie.
CONSENSUS

4 6

4 6

JEFF UPON REFLECTION
I have no idea. I have great hearts, but I have an extra spade and the key middle honors in the suit. Toss-up. If partner is 3-6 in the majors, I think I'd rather be in spades; if he's 4-7, in hearts. Maybe.
Matchpoints.

104
A98432
A863
10

86532
J7
J72
852

Declarer Dummy

1NT 4 (transfer)

4 Pass

T1: K-A-7-5
T2: 10-2-A-3
T3: K-4-4-5
T4: Q-J-10-8
T5: 4-9-3-?

Ed pretty much covers it:

ED

The only hands that I can see where my play makes a difference are a)

KJx

AKQxxx and b)

xxx

AKQxxx. If declarer has a, I need to lead either heart; if declarer has b, I need to let declarer play hearts. b seems more likely so I'll return a diamond.

BARRY

I guess I want to leave partner on play for a club through but there may be more to it than that. At the moment I can't see it so will duck the diamond and leave it up to partner to work out what... He probably knows that I can't hold much...

KENT

Overtake with the jack and return a diamond.

MIKE

If I try to get trumps on track now, I need parter to hold the

10. If he has that, we can get trump promotions on the clubs. Presumably he had a reason for playing the

9, I think I can safely play the 2. Overtaking to shift to a trump could be right, but could also be very wrong.

ROBB

J, spade. Hope we can get 1 diamond, 2 hearts. The

7 should assure that we can do this, or that we can even go plus if LHO opened 1NT light with xx in hearts.

BOBBY

It looks like declarer is preparing to ruff some some diamonds in the short hand, possibly having something like

KQx

AKQxxx. I don't see how leading a small trump can hurt, and it might help. I toy with the idea of leading the J, but I'm not imaginative enough to visualize a suit combination where it wins. I lead the

ANDY

Overtake and play the trump jack.

WALTER

Overtake and lead a trump. If this was correct it wouldn't be a problem. Was declarer 2326 with the Q10x of hearts?

JOEL

I'll overtake and return the

7. I'm playing for declarer to have something like

KJx

AKQxxx when I return the heart, it will go small, T, A. diamond ruff, club, ruff small, sluff a diamond, sluff a diamond. diamond, ruff, overruff. Or if they instead overruff the club, I'll overoverruff, and then we get the diamond, too.

MICHAEL

I'm going to duck the diamond, expecting partner to play a club, unless, of course, he knows declarer is out of clubs.

JEFF AT THE TABLE

Overtake and play a diamond.

CONSENSUS

Duck:	3
Win then :	3
Win then :	4
Win then :	1

WINNING ACTION

Overtake and play a non-trump. Declarer's hand was

1054

AKQ976.

JEFF UPON REFLECTION

Hard guess. Declarer has played well. I think the winning action is a slight favorite, but it's real close. We can't leave partner on lead, as he won't know what to do either, so we ought to make the decision ourselves if we can get it right. I agree with Ed that against a good declarer, playing trumps is against the odds, so I like my at-the-table decision.

Jeff Goldsmith, jeff@gg.caltech.edu, August 7, 2001

1...2	5
1...3	5
1...2	1
4	1

RHO	You	LHO	CHO
Pass	Pass	Pass	1NT (15-17)
Pass	?

Pass	5.5
2	5.5

RHO	You	LHO	CHO
1	Pass	2	Pass
Pass	?