[P_Marlowe]

Hi,

the following hand is a play problem, but at first as a warmup, a bidding question

All green, you are dealer, holding

♠K97
♥KT6
♦AJ65
♣K64

The bidding, the opponents are silent the whole time

1NT (1) - 2D (2)
2H (2) - 3D (3)
3H (4) - 3S (5)
??? (6)

(1) 11-14, 4 spades, only holding 4333
(2) xfer, executed, breaking is possible, but rarely done, and anyway not relevant
with the given hand
(3) gf, 4+, either a hand that perfers a suit contract or slam interest
(4) fit showing
(5) SI, honor based cue, i.e. partner is showing the Ace of spade
(6) your bid, as always reason is more important than being right

With kind regards
Marlowe

[mw64ahw]

Given you're max. (hcp) I'd step in with 4♠ even (2) keycards, controls in ♣ & ♦ & a ♥ honour.
Being cautious you could bid 4♦ ostensibly denying a ♣ control and bid 4♠ over a 4♥ response. This will let partner know you are limited to K♣

Edit: with 3♥ fit showing for ♦ then a similar approach applies. 4♣ control and ♦ honour. I'd defer key card showing here given the single KC. And let partner make the move give the limited flat hand.

[akwoo]

I bid 4C. Partner may be counting on their club singleton pulling full weight (e.g. Axx AQxxx KQxx x, hoping you have KQx Kxx AJx xxxx), and you need to tell them that it isn't. Otherwise, you have an excellent hand. You might want to tell us form of scoring, as at IMPs you should be aiming for 6D, not 6H.

[mike777]

4C seems obvious, partner is Captain

However I would have bid 3S, not 3H, setting D as trump and showing the Ace or king of spades

[P_Marlowe]

akwoo, on 2026-January-18, 20:26, said:

I bid 4C. Partner may be counting on their club singleton pulling full weight (e.g. Axx AQxxx KQxx x, hoping you have KQx Kxx AJx xxxx), and you need to tell them that it isn't. Otherwise, you have an excellent hand. You might want to tell us form of scoring, as at IMPs you should be aiming for 6D, not 6H.

Sry forgot, and it is an important fact: IMPs.

The hand is from one of the sets played in the German League, that took place on the past weekend.

4C will get you 4H.

[P_Marlowe]

mike777, on 2026-January-18, 21:07, said:

4C seems obvious, partner is Captain

However I would have bid 3S, not 3H, setting D as trump and showing the Ace or king of spades

This is an option, but keep in mind, that the slam interest only manifested with the 3S bid.
I believe there are methods, that show the double fit, and it is a common method to play,
that 3H sets, diamonds, and all other bids set heart.

[P_Marlowe]

mw64ahw, on 2026-January-18, 12:41, said:

Given you're max. (hcp) I'd step in with 4♠ even (2) keycards, controls in ♣ & ♦ & a ♥ honour.
Being cautious you could bid 4♦ ostensibly denying a ♣ control and bid 4♠ over a 4♥ response. This will let partner know you are limited to K♣

A 4S bid would deny a club and diamond control, but show a slam suitable hand, KQ in spades, also some diamond and heart fillers,
it is a tough bid, and you may send me in the tank.
This will get you a 5H response.

I am not sure, what I would have bid over a 4D response, most likely I would have bid ... 5C.

[mw64ahw]

P_Marlowe, on 2026-January-18, 23:37, said:

A 4S bid would deny a club and diamond control, but show a slam suitable hand, KQ in spades, also some diamond and heart fillers,
it is a tough bid, and you may send me in the tank.
This will get you a 5H response.

I am not sure, what I would have bid over a 4D response, most likely I would have bid ... 5C.

As above with my edit 4♣ if ♦ are trumps.
I guess 5♣ is an ask over 4♦?
I don't play 3♥ sets ♦, but as a ♣ stopper looking for a ♠ stopper. My slam tries take another route.

[Huibertus]

P_Marlowe, on 2026-January-18, 12:16, said:

(1) 11-14, 4 spades, only holding 4333

Now this hand has been opened on a 3343 I take it you're going to update the explanation you're giving to opponents?

Anyway your hand can hardly be better then 3 Kings and an Ace. So we're going along with cueing. 3NT, spade Cue if that is the agreement, 4♣ if 3NT is something different.

[P_Marlowe]

Huibertus, on 2026-January-19, 01:20, said:

Now this hand has been opened on a 3343 I take it you're going to update the explanation you're giving to opponents?

Anyway your hand can hardly be better then 3 Kings and an Ace. So we're going along with cueing. 3NT, spade Cue if that is the agreement, 4♣ if 3NT is something different.

The alert is: If the NT opener showes up with 4 spades, he will be 4333, or
in otherwords 1NT will usually be without 4 spades.
I usually also add, that we dont have the option to ask after a 4 card spade suit.

Heart being the agreed trump suit, 3NT would be serious ... meaning having dream cards
in the context of bidding.
3NT would get you a 5C bid, which is not Exclusion, but it will be a void.

[P_Marlowe]

mw64ahw, on 2026-January-19, 00:42, said:

As above with my edit 4♣ if ♦ are trumps.
I guess 5♣ is an ask over 4♦?
I don't play 3♥ sets ♦, but as a ♣ stopper looking for a ♠ stopper. My slam tries take another route.

At the moment, heart is the agreed trump suit.
Partner has no idea, that there is a diamond fit.

5C over 4D is a void. I only play 1 Ace Asking method, works for me.

We dont play 3H setting diamonds either, it is just a common nice idea, ...,
handy if it comes up, but will come up rarely, at least in weak NT context,
it would be the first time in ... years?
But than I play only the League session and 1-2 tournaments the whole year.
So it may be worth it in a weak NT context, if you have a regular partnership
and play more often than I do.

The alternative approach in a weak NT context is 2-way Stayman with shape relay,
..., I was forced to play for 1 year, it was ok, but also not worth it.

[Huibertus]

P_Marlowe, on 2026-January-19, 02:58, said:

The alert is: If the NT opener showes up with 4 spades, he will be 4333, or
in otherwords 1NT will usually be without 4 spades.
I usually also add, that we dont have the option to ask after a 4 card spade suit.

Heart being the agreed trump suit, 3NT would be serious ... meaning having dream cards
in the context of bidding.
3NT would get you a 5C bid, which is not Exclusion, but it will be a void.

In that case 3NT is also the bid I'd pick, you actually have the dream cards, as said the hand can't really be better.

Partner then responding to show a void is a nuisance. Without seeing his hand I'd guess the partnership is better off if Partner continues with a 4♣ cue, seems to me he needs to find out about ♦ and ♠ K but maybe it's fine and he only needs to find out about ♦ Ace. Anyway 5♦ after 5♣.

[P_Marlowe]

Huibertus, on 2026-January-19, 03:54, said:

In that case 3NT is also the bid I'd pick, you actually have the dream cards, as said the hand can't really be better.

Partner then responding to show a void is a nuisance. Without seeing his hand I'd guess the partnership is better off if Partner continues with a 4♣ cue, seems to me he needs to find out about ♦ and ♠ K but maybe it's fine and he only needs to find out about ♦ Ace. Anyway 5♦ after 5♣.

I guess 5D will get you a 6H bid, ..., the guy making the bid would be me, and I think 6H it is.
5D showes either the Ace or is LTC, i.e. cooperation.

[mw64ahw]

P_Marlowe, on 2026-January-19, 03:21, said:

At the moment, heart is the agreed trump suit.
Partner has no idea, that there is a diamond fit.

5C over 4D is a void. I only play 1 Ace Asking method, works for me.

We dont play 3H setting diamonds either, it is just a common nice idea, ...,
handy if it comes up, but will come up rarely, at least in weak NT context,
it would be the first time in ... years?
But than I play only the League session and 1-2 tournaments the whole year.
So it may be worth it in a weak NT context, if you have a regular partnership
and play more often than I do.

The alternative approach in a weak NT context is 2-way Stayman with shape relay,
..., I was forced to play for 1 year, it was ok, but also not worth it.

I wouldn't think about ♦ with a higher key card count in ♥

[Huibertus]

P_Marlowe, on 2026-January-19, 03:56, said:

I guess 5D will get you a 6H bid, ..., the guy making the bid would be me, and I think 6H it is.
5D showes either the Ace or is LTC, i.e. cooperation.

OK, well I've got no clue what "Either Ace or LTC" is supposed to be how many losers had I promised had I not held the Ace? But let the play commence...

[DavidKok]

Last Train convention, I bet.

[P_Marlowe]

DavidKok, on 2026-January-19, 06:27, said:

Last Train convention, I bet.

Yes. There was an old article from Gitelman explaining LTC,
I never found it again.

LTC stand for Last Train to Clarksville.
https://en.wikipedia..._to_Clarksville

I am not sure if Fred Gitelman invented it, but I know,
that they did choose the name for its coolness.

[P_Marlowe]

Huibertus, on 2026-January-19, 05:05, said:

OK, well I've got no clue what "Either Ace or LTC" is supposed to be how many losers had I promised had I not held the Ace? But let the play commence...

I will get to the play problem in the evening, so that 24h have passed,
to avoid complains.
As it is, I think there is still at least one point not discussed.
I think it is a nice educational hand, ..., obviously I did not get it.
I also dont think it is Expert Level stuff, ..., due to this I have created
the thread in the I/A section, ..., we can discuss about the level of the
bidding question.

[pescetom]

I too would have bid 3S fixing trumps in diamonds, at IMPs.
But after 3S by partner, if 3NT is Serious then you have an obvious duty. I agree with Huibertus that it is counterproductive not to simply continue control bidding after that.
My preferred use for 3NT after 3S is showing responsive spades control and in that case you have again an obvious duty.
I also prefer that 3S is simply control showing, not necessarily the Ace (the King, a void or even a singleton is fine).


Please could you use the hand diagram tool at least before the play discussion?

[P_Marlowe]

pescetom, on 2026-January-19, 07:32, said:

<snip>
Please could you use the hand diagram tool at least before the play discussion?

I will try, will be my first attemp.