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FUN / COMPETITIONS

BRIDGE WITH THE HACKETT FAMILY

Sunday July 27,2008

IN Rubber Bridge conventions are not normally allowed as a defence to 1NT, but in Tournament Bridge there is a proliferation of them.

Probably the most popular is the Landy Convention, which is fairly simple to use. An overcall of 2C shows both majors and all other bids are natural.

The defence we prefer is called Asptro. An overcall of 2C shows hearts and another suit, while an overcall of 2D shows spades and another. This leaves 2H and 2S as natural bids.

The modern theory is that if you hold both majors you show the 4-card major first.

The responses are as follows:- pass shows a long suit in the minor bid and an unsuitable hand.

Next suit up:- denies 3 cards in the anchor suit and is not forcing, asking partner to show his other suit.

2NT:- a forcing bid asking partner to describe his hand further. Partner then shows his second suit.

Today’s hand, which came from the Shapiro Spring Foursomes, demonstrates the Asptro convention. Knowing that partner had spades, South correctly judged he was worth a 4S response.

Declarer won the spade lead and then made a fatal mistake. He drew another top spade. He followed this up with a heart to the AH and ruffed a heart.

Now he had to play the AC and ruff a club in order to get back to hand to take the second heart ruff.

This was followed by a diamond to the JD, which West won with the QD. He then cashed his winning trump and played a club, forcing South to ruff with his last trump. When a second diamond was played West had the AD and the KC left to beat the contract.

If, however, declarer had not played a second trump and played a diamond earlier then he would have had trump control and the opponents could not have forced him out of trumps.

It looked so easy at trick one!

Justin’s tip: Although one is advised to draw trumps make sure that if you do so you do not lose control of the hand.

KEY
S Spades
C Clubs
D Diamonds
H Hearts