Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Adequate support?

A hand arose yesterday playing in a regional Swiss, where I was able to put down exceptional trump support.  It sometimes happens that due to some conventional sequence, dummy comes down with a really good suit "in support" of declarer.  But it's unusual to put down a dummy with quite this good support for a suit bid naturally, albeit in response to a takeout double, by partner.

My hand was ♠AJ AKQT862 64 ♣J3 (spots approximate).  LHO bid 1♣ and there were two passes to me.  I doubled.  LHO bid 2♣ and partner surprised me by bidding 2.  I raised to 4 and partner made it exactly.

I expected a push, but strange things can happen.  At the other table, LHO redoubled after the double and our counterparts also bid to 4.  However, our teammates sacrificed in 4♠ and pushed their opponents to 5 which was doubled.  The defense went a little differently (partner's ♣Q got ruffed and was therefore unavailable for a discard).  The result was down two, giving us a 15 IMP swing.  Partner's hand was ♠J73 J974 K52 ♣Q93.

Tomorrow, I will again address the concept of fit-showing jumps in a blog whose length will be in proportion to my heart support on this hand.

4 comments:

  1. This story reminds me of the time I was playing in a mixed doubles club championship with the wife of one of my regular partners. We'd had some success in the past and would win this night despite the following trust-crushing event.

    My partner opened a heart and this came around to me. I had ace-seventh in support, plus an assorment of side quacks in an evenly-distributed hand [G]. So, I bid 1NT. She responded with 2D showing at least three and it covered the only side suit I didn't have a quack in. So I bid the obvious 3NT. Which made on the nose. With four top losers in 4H.

    The only other time the rest of the night I raised her, she alerted. When asked to explain, she told our opponents, in a most sorrowful voice, "Promises eight-card support."

    Since then, I've almost always raised with seven-card support.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 2H reopening in passout seat? That would be my choice.

      Delete
    2. ... of course, that would limit us to nine tricks, I suppose, (or even eight tricks), via four top minor suit losers and a club ruff? My Jeff-with-Jeff result would have been +110 or +140, for a big loss against your game making.

      Delete
  2. I think Jeff-with-Jeff would have bid a little conservatively (in my opinion of course). How good a hand/suit would you need to reopen with a double planning to correct to hearts as I did?

    ReplyDelete