Ask yourself how you would bid the North
hand after responding 1 to 1 and hearing
partner rebid 2 (showing a suit of at least
six cards). You could jump to 4 or 3NT, of
course, but South will always pass the
former and often pass the latter when slam
is a good proposition. North has five honor
cards that are likely to be "working" and
those jumps to game are simply inadequate.
It would be nice if a simple 2NT were
forcing, but in standard methods that is not
so. North will have to invent a force by
bidding 3 or 3 on a three-card suit, and
neither of those actions would be
comfortable. The problem is that North has
extra values but not enough of them to
insist on slam. All of which might help to
explain why our North jump-shifted to 2,
sending this message: "I have a strong hand
but I need some cooperation in choosing a
level; I am not strong enough to drive to
slam." This style was very different from
the "powerhouse" jump shift idea espoused in
most American textbooks written before 1970.
North-South vulnerable South deals
West |
North |
East |
South |
|
|
|
1 |
Pass |
2 |
Pass |
3 |
Pass |
3NT |
Pass |
4 |
Pass |
4 |
Pass |
4NT |
Pass |
5 |
End |
|
Opening Lead:
3
Although North got his hand "off his chest" early, South had a good hand
himself (note that slam would be excellent
if North held the
J
instead of the
5)
and went past game. In the end he guessed to
pass 5
although only one ace was missing. Quite
high enough you might say. After a club lead
to the jack and king, then a trump to the
queen (nine from East), how will you (South)
play in order to avoid an ignominious defeat
in "your" freely-bid five-level contract. As
there is no extra bonus for bidding and
making 5,
5,
4NT, or 5NT, making your precarious contract
will be its own reward.
At the table our declarer continued with
A,
club ruff, three high spades to discard a
diamond, then ace-king and a diamond ruff.
Declarer was down to king-ten-seven of
trumps, West was reduced to the ace-jack-eight.
Declarer exited with the
K
and West found that his three natural trump
tricks had been reduced to two.
North was Eric Murray, South Sami Kehela.
The four
hands: