[eagles123]

---

Lead: low heart, result: Contract made.


These are obviously world class players, but I found this board fascinating. Firstly I don't get Klukowski's bidding, why not bid 3S rather than 4D if you're going to ram it into slam anyway? And 6C seems very ambitious with only a low doubleton club and a likely heart loser.

And Bessis' lead of a low heart ... again I don't get it, surely the Ace is a favourite to stand up given no heart cue from opponents, and surely it's better to hope there's some trick elsewhere for the set rather than I'm guessing hoping Klukowski had KJ and Gawrys xx and put them to an early guess?

Anyway I just thought this was an interesting board!

edit: Not sure how to put the names in the diagram but to clarify NS was Lorenzini N and Bessis S, EW was Gawrys E, Klukowski W

[pilowsky]

Here's a link to the board.

[bluenikki]

eagles123, on 2022-July-25, 02:12, said:

---

Lead: low heart, result: Contract made.


These are obviously world class players, but I found this board fascinating. Firstly I don't get Klukowski's bidding, why not bid 3S rather than 4D if you're going to ram it into slam anyway? And 6C seems very ambitious with only a low doubleton club and a likely heart loser.

And Bessis' lead of a low heart ... again I don't get it, surely the Ace is a favourite to stand up given no heart cue from opponents, and surely it's better to hope there's some trick elsewhere for the set rather than I'm guessing hoping Klukowski had KJ and Gawrys xx and put them to an early guess?

Anyway I just thought this was an interesting board!

edit: Not sure how to put the names in the diagram but to clarify NS was Lorenzini N and Bessis S, EW was Gawrys E, Klukowski W

I am interested In south's 3♥ bid. This is what I learned never to do facing a weak jump overcall: When responder makes a forcing bid, either pass or jump. Don't give opener the chance to pass. Leave responder to wonder whether opener's second bid was pressured.

Obviously this world class player had a different experience.

[sfi]

The lead makes sense to me. West has the heart control, so it's reasonable to hope for the K or the Q (but not QJ) in partner's hand. And it's not clear where else you're going to get two tricks from. The problem with making this lead is the timing - you can't think too long otherwise you give the show away. So if you have the idea to do it, you have to commit to it without fully thinking through the possibilities.

The bidding is harder to explain and I'm sure they've talked through it by now. It looks like Klukowski thought Gawrys couldn't have spades and wanted to emphasise his diamond suit. However, West's hand is huge once partner ignores opener's strong diamond suit and commits to 11 tricks in clubs on his own. I don't get Gawrys' thinking behind 5C and my guess is Klukowski was picturing something like Kx Qxx x AKQJxxx.

[sfi]

bluenikki, on 2022-July-25, 05:45, said:

I am interested In south's 3♥ bid. This is what I learned never to do facing a weak jump overcall: When responder makes a forcing bid, either pass or jump. Don't give opener the chance to pass. Leave responder to wonder whether opener's second bid was pressured.

There are a couple of good things you might do with 3H. You take away the 3H cuebid, so maybe they no longer find 3NT or have an easy slam auction with a club fit. And you take away the 3D bid, so they may not be able to show long but modest diamonds so easily.

You also do some bad things when bidding 3H. You tell them about the fit and make it easier to picture shortage in partner's hand. And, as you point out, you let them pass with nothing to say.

I've come around more to the view that taking away any cue bid is valuable. I've had a few hands where that slight obstruction means they rest in game when both opponents have modest extras but aren't willing to push to show it. But there's merit in pass, 3H and 4H here.

[pescetom]

I too don't get bidding 4◇ instead of 3♤, thus passing up a better slam and the Beer Card too!

[nullve]

sfi, on 2022-July-25, 06:04, said:

There are a couple of good things you might do with 3H. You take away the 3H cuebid, so maybe they no longer find 3NT or have an easy slam auction with a club fit. And you take away the 3D bid, so they may not be able to show long but modest diamonds so easily.

You also do some bad things when bidding 3H. You tell them about the fit and make it easier to picture shortage in partner's hand. And, as you point out, you let them pass with nothing to say.

I've come around more to the view that taking away any cue bid is valuable. I've had a few hands where that slight obstruction means they rest in game when both opponents have modest extras but aren't willing to push to show it. But there's merit in pass, 3H and 4H here.

Opps have the exact same amount of bidding space after

1♦-(2♥)-3♣-(3♥)

as after

1♦-(2♥)-3♣-(P)

.

(If they wanted to, they could play "system on" with P and X replacing 3♦ and 3♥, respectively.)

[LBengtsson]

eagles123, on 2022-July-25, 02:12, said:

These are obviously world class players, but I found this board fascinating.

So did I You can 'overthink' hands. A comfort to us lesser players that the experts can do it also.

[Gilithin]

bluenikki, on 2022-July-25, 05:45, said:

I am interested In south's 3♥ bid.

And I am interested in North's 2♥ bid. Would most of us not bid (at least) 3♥ on that opposite a passed hand?