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Vil Gravis Writes

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Slams 02

Vil's Tips - Thu, 05/09/2024 - 5:20pm

This slam should not have been a difficult one to bid, and was worth 90% to those NS pairs who bid and made 6NT.

Board 18 from X-Clubs on 3/09/24
Dealer E NS Vul
A9627AQJ752AQT83J98543T742754AQT2983965KQJK6K64KJT83

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Categories: Vil Gravis Writes

Slams 01

Vil's Tips - Sat, 31/08/2024 - 9:42pm

Welcome to my new series, SLAMS. Slams is almost always part of the conversation after every session of bridge. So it seems, by popular demand, I just have to do this. Hopefully this series will interest slam fans and suggest how to bid them, as well as how not to bid them, and how to make them when you manage to bid them. Board 12 from Wednesday 28/8/24 should provide us all with the inspiration to always look for the Mt. Everest of bridge, the Grand Slam.

Board 12 from Wednesday 28/8/24
Dealer West NS Vul
8398764QJ8694A5J2732AKJ732KQT97642A5AK5JKQT3T94QT865

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Categories: Vil Gravis Writes

Your Call 12

Vil's Tips - Mon, 26/08/2024 - 3:46pm

The very first board of the session produced a deal where both sides had the opportunity to gain the upper hand with some aggressive, albeit reasoned, bidding.

Board 1 Dealer from Friday 23/08/24
North Nil Vul
JT7675A943T96Q5AT8KQ752K423KJ9436AJ8753AK9842Q62JT8Q

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Categories: Vil Gravis Writes

Your Call 11

Vil's Tips - Mon, 19/08/2024 - 2:22pm

This deal presents a difficult bidding problem, and when the bidding problem was solved, a not so difficult problem for declarer that was nevertheless not solved by every declarer. And when the bidding problem was not solved and the NS pairs ended up in an inferior 3NT, many EW pairs still failed to take advantage of their luck by letting declarer make the unmakeable 3NT.

Board 21 from Thursday 15/08/24
Dealer N NS Vul
47AKT62AKT852KT82KQT5J9754J65J9832Q4Q73AQ973A6483J96

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Categories: Vil Gravis Writes

Your Call 10

Vil's Tips - Tue, 13/08/2024 - 5:41pm

We can now look at the possible scenario when slam has been reached. Which slam is best? I suggest that if the bidding is accurate and truly reflective of the combined hands, it should be 6NT. East would probably have used Key Card and West shown one key card in spades. Despite East knowing that West has a very long and almost self sufficient spade suit, East will know that West’s spades are missing the ace or king. Therefore the most likely problem in a 6S slam will be in spades, and East’s hand is so good that if the spades ‘behave’ there will be no problem, but if the spades break badly and can not be set up without losing two, then 6NT might still make. I would normally argue that with a spade suit like West's, the slam should be played in spades not No Trumps, but this one is an exception and in fact that is what I, as East, decided on.

Board 24 from Thursday 9/08/24
Dlr West Nil Vul
T43T876228632AQJ9852KJ64J56AKQ95AT8AQT9K7J43Q9753K74

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Categories: Vil Gravis Writes

Your Call 09

Vil's Tips - Mon, 12/08/2024 - 5:02pm

This session was played as Swiss Pairs at the Hutt Club, so maybe a direct comparison of results across all of X-Clubs may not reflect how the bidding and play should, or might go. But let’s take a look anyway as there are important lessons to learn if you are going to develop a good understanding as a partnership.

Board 24 from Thursday 9/08/24
Dlr West Nil Vul
T43T876228632AQJ9852KJ64J56AKQ95AT8AQT9K7J43Q9753K74

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Categories: Vil Gravis Writes

Your Call 08

Vil's Tips - Sun, 04/08/2024 - 9:44pm

From the same session, this one could be titled “To bid or not to bid”.

Board 7 from Friday 2/08/24
Dlr South All Vul
Q9A86542K62Q7KT74KT97J98A3A86QJ3AQ5J965J532T743KT842

After two passes, North opens 1H. East passes, having no sensible option. What should South do?

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Categories: Vil Gravis Writes

Your Call 07

Vil's Tips - Sun, 04/08/2024 - 9:36pm

Is taking a risk at match points warranted when there could be more to gain than to lose? And the same can apply to teams play though of course there is much more to gain and to lose if you get it wrong. In a match point game, as in the following deal, it was just one board, and the total match points at stake were the equivalent of 4% for the session, to make it easier for the reader to relate to the narrative.

Board 3 from Friday 2/08/24
Dlr South EW Vul
JT6AJ87T84253K8736542J7539954KQTAKQ96T2AQ293AKQJ8764

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Categories: Vil Gravis Writes

How Not to Bid a Slam ...

Vil's Tips - Mon, 29/07/2024 - 5:26pm

... or ... how to bid the wrong slam. Or, we might call this “The Continuing No Trump Syndrome”. We have been there before, haven’t we? The obsession with No Trumps and the ignoring of a minor suit fit when bidding slams, or maybe even not bidding a slam when the combined point count warrants it, just because the only possible trump fit is a 4-4 in a minor.

Board 1 From Friday 26/7/24.
Dlr North Nil Vul
9AK972KT97AJ4J4Q6843QT8732Q8752JT536265AKT6384AQJ5K9

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Categories: Vil Gravis Writes

Opening Leads Chapter 23

Vil's Tips - Sat, 27/07/2024 - 8:01pm

Finally, we can have a look at how a 6H slam might fare. Most average declarers would probably fail unless South leads the jack of clubs, a card some Souths might choose. Easy after that, dummy covers and declarer’s nine comes good. The lead of a doubleton jack is not a good lead against any contract unless you have a very good chance of finding partner with higher honours, which this time is nothing short of wishful thinking given the bidding. Here, it is disastrous, because declarer was looking at two possible club losers. A spade lead as it happens comes to no harm and neither does a diamond, but my choice would be the six of trumps. That is totally safe, even if partner has the queen or king. But what if partner has the singleton queen or king and you lead the jack? The low heart, as it happens, gives declarer an extra entry to dummy but it is not needed and declarer can proceed along sensible lines by winning in hand and immediately leading the nine of clubs to the queen. Unlucky! It loses to the king and now there would appear to be little chance of the slam making. But read on.

Board 3 Dealer South EW Vul
QJ9354863KT75AT2Q92J95Q432K7AK873AKQA988654JT6T742J6

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Categories: Vil Gravis Writes

Opening Leads Chapter 22

Vil's Tips - Fri, 26/07/2024 - 4:07pm

Following on from our deal from Wednesday 24/07/24 at X-Clubs
Board 3
Dealer South EW Vul
QJ9354863KT75AT2Q92J95Q432K7AK873AKQA988654JT6T742J6

This produced some interesting results across X-Clubs. Also from my panel of club players. There is sufficient evidence to suggest that opening leads against slams are worse than opening leads against games and part scores. My guess is that this is because so many players are entrenched in their leading habits against lower level contracts, where the usual ‘fourth highest’ or ‘top of touching honours’ is the norm. But as I explained in Chapter 21, the approach has to be quite different against any slam. Let’s look at what could happen with the wrong lead against the two possible slams.

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Categories: Vil Gravis Writes

Opening Leads Chapter 21

Vil's Tips - Fri, 26/07/2024 - 4:04pm

Defending against slams should be much easier than against games, and, to go a step further, against part scores. That is because against a slam, you only need two tricks to defeat a small slam, and by the same token, you have to do your best to make it harder for declarer to make twelve tricks. How many inexperienced players give the slam away on the opening lead? And how many equally inexperienced players return the favour by equally poor declarer play? You’d be surprised. It is especially true in the case of slams that a poor opening lead will allow a slam to make but poor declarer play can allow a poor lead to succeed. Let’s take a look at a deal where two possible slams were bid, albeit not all that often.

Board 3 from Wednesday 24/07/24
Dealer South EW Vul
QJ9354863KT75AT2Q92J95Q432K7AK873AKQA988654JT6T742J6

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Categories: Vil Gravis Writes

Your Call 05

Vil's Tips - Fri, 19/07/2024 - 3:26pm

Two very interesting boards, one after the other, on Tuesday at X-Clubs, but both were a bit of a flop in terms of variety and possibilities. I guess the theme could be “anticipation”.

Board 21 from Tuesday 16/07/24
Dlr North NS Vul
AT5AQ84AJT75JKJ632K2AK85329874T98632Q74QJ7653KQ94T96

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Categories: Vil Gravis Writes

Opening Leads Chapter 20

Vil's Tips - Thu, 18/07/2024 - 10:52am

This one comes from Tuesday's X-Clubs set. The opening lead was obvious but the play did not go according to how it should have. When you are leading your partner’s suit and have three small cards, e.g. 753, which card do you lead? Do you have an agreement with partner? I think most of us would lead the top card, some may have a “MUD” ( middle-up-down) agreement and I do know that some experts lead the lowest card to ‘give partner a count’. You decide what’s best after reading this article.

Board 16 from Tuesday 16/07/24
Dealer West EW Vul
KA7J742AQJT95T75J53AK53K73AJ86432KT9864Q9QT98642Q862

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Categories: Vil Gravis Writes

Your Call 04

Vil's Tips - Thu, 11/07/2024 - 6:26pm

The Michaels Cue bid and Unusual No Trump can be useful weapons for competing. But only useful when opponents end up taking the wrong, instead of right, options. This bit of enterprise by a rather adventurous South could have turned to custard but...read on.

Board 26 form Tuesday 9/07/24
Dlr East All Vul
KJT7483JT76432AJ9QT943AQ95AQ863742A87K895KQT65KJ6522

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Categories: Vil Gravis Writes

Your Call 03

Vil's Tips - Thu, 11/07/2024 - 6:18pm

This X-Clubs deal, from last Tuesday presented East with a problem in the bidding and then North in the opening lead. North’s decision on the opening lead should have been easier than East’s decision to bid a heart slam. Let’s see what happened.

Board 7 from Tuesday 9//24
Dlr South All Vul
QJ9839952JT325KQT86QJAK954K7AJ73AK87876AT642542T643Q

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Categories: Vil Gravis Writes

Your Call Chapter 2

Vil's Tips - Sun, 07/07/2024 - 10:27am

This freak deal features a high level penalty double, or should it?
Board 25 from Tuesday 2/07/24
Dlr North EW Vul
KQJT8QQ98JT7397432J4AKJ6Q4A9876532T5422A65KT73AK9865

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Categories: Vil Gravis Writes

Your Call: Chapter 1

Vil's Tips - Sat, 06/07/2024 - 3:10pm

Vil begins his new series with this interesting article - ed

One of the most underused, and misused, bids in bridge is DOUBLE. That is because often there is no clear understanding of when it is “Takeout” and when “Penalty”. Sometimes, admittedly, there can be some overlap, but any pair that can use the double properly will reap big benefits from their bidding. Let’s look at our first example, which comes from a session at X-Clubs, as will our second one in Chapter 2.

Board 11 from Tuesday 2/07/24
Dlr South Nil Vul
AK987T979AKJ9J32K3AJ4QT763Q64QJ64KQ8254T5A852T765382

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Categories: Vil Gravis Writes

Opening Leads Chapter 19

Vil's Tips - Wed, 26/06/2024 - 1:26pm

The second deal from 21/06/24. Unfortunately, it seems that the Hutt club was the only one to play more than 26 boards, but Board 27 is still worth reviewing because of the lessons that can be learnt from it with respect to opening leads. Too few of us think of how an opening lead may be read by partner and any possible unintended consequences.

Board 27 from 21/06/24
Dealer South Nil Vul
JTAQT82T83KQ6K529J65AT97529763J543KQJ83AQ84K76A97424

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Categories: Vil Gravis Writes

Opening Leads Chapter 18

Vil's Tips - Mon, 24/06/2024 - 5:24pm

This ‘slam’ hand was played at X-Clubs on a recent Friday. I say ‘slam’ because I believe that in most first grade club sessions a slam should be bid at least half the time. Alas, not even close, and when it was bid, hardly ever made. 6S is the slam that I would be bidding but unfortunately, it does not make if the defence know how to defend, though there is a subtle way that 6S could be made if declarer can see all the cards, as can Deep Finesse. But DF can never get defenders to go wrong, and can only play assuming every player plays and defends perfectly. As the cards lie, perfect play means that 6NT can be made and 6S can not. But read on!

Board 18 from Friday 21/06/24
Dealer East NS Vul
JT5QJT2K42T72Q84287QJT93Q9696543876J863AK973AKA5AK54

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Categories: Vil Gravis Writes

Vil's Red Book

X-Club Blog

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