#2 - Hugh's 'Hand of the Week' - Tuesday 7 June 2022

16 members convened again after bridge for our second Tuseday Session Debrief. A brief discussion about format was held. Several expressed the view that more didactic teaching would be preferred, and maybe at a different time (as several were experiencing traffic challenges heading home after the debrief). This latter is a difficult challenge, and acknowledged. However, the majority prefer, at least at this stage, the informal format of reviewing hands we have just played, hopefully learning something from how others have bid or played the hand. We shall continue to review, and nothing is set in stone….an occasional brief review of a specific convention is planned.

We discussed:

1. The role of simply bidding 3NT in a competitive bidding situation, when opponents   have taken up valuable bidding space. Plumping for 3NT, sometimes with less than satisfactory stoppers in some suits, can be the best option….see hand #17.

2. The complex defence required to keep declarer to just 2H, on board #1, was discussed.
   
   
3. Board #3 presents a “SQUEEZE” option…always consider it when you have a long suit to run. In this hand S played in 3NT, W led a small spade. S saw the potential for a squeeze, “rectified the count” by losing a small spade trick (keeping overall control, and throwing 2 clubs and later a diamond from dummy on the 3 spade tricks), then led out the hearts….the last 5 cards in N were 6H, AK of D, and Qx of C; E had Qxx of D and KJ of C; S had Jxx of D and A10 of C. West’s hand was immaterial at this point. When 6H was played, (S throwing a C), East was squeezed…if E plays a D, N plays AK and crosses to S’s JD. If E plays JC, N crosses to S’s AC and back to N for last 3 tricks.

4. Overcalls can be very effective, both at disrupting the bidding for opponents (hands #18 and #21), and in some cases an unlikely contract can be found…see below.
   
   

“Hand of the Week”  

East deals and opens 1H. South has a good spade suit and overcalls 1S (some questioned this but at the 1 level this is a good bid, with a good suit, with at least 7 points). West bid 2D and

North jumped to 4S….a good bid in view of shape, 4 spades and strong minors. 4S makes comfortably. Some might open 4H with East’s hand, but the vulnerability would put most off.

To review the hand records for the session on Tuesday 7 June 2022 ... click here