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Vil's Tips
Wednesday Play at The Hutt (12)
Tue, 23/03/2021 - 2:24amTwo very interesting boards in a row! These did not occur on a Wednesday, yet are nevertheless of such interest that I have been asked for my thoughts on both of them. They occurred on a Friday afternoon, Friday 19/03/2021. The only hands of interest are the East-West ones.
Board 15 Dealer S NS Vul
3T8632AKT8643AKQ75AKQAQT73
Categories: Vil Gravis Writes
Wednesday Play at The Hutt (11)
Fri, 19/03/2021 - 10:39amBoard 14 from Wednesday 17/03/2021
Dealer E Nil Vul
87T842K43AJT4KQ632JAJ6Q752A954Q9763QT52JTAK5987K9863
Some Wests were in 2S, some in 3S, and four pairs actually got to 4S, a good assessment of the combined hands. We’re not going to talk about the bidding, we still need to learn things about both declarer play and defence.
Categories: Vil Gravis Writes
Wednesday Play at The Hutt (10)
Tue, 16/03/2021 - 9:32amFrom Wednesday 10/03/21.
I need to get back to bidding once more, because what happened on Board 2 tells me that very little has been learnt about what bidding is all about.
I will repeat what I have said before: Bidding is a DISCUSSION between a partnership. The discussion can be as short or as long as needed to determine the BEST contract.
You also need to know what you require for GAME. A minimum of 25 COMBINED high card points. What do you need to bid to be in GAME? And what does the game SCORE?
Categories: Vil Gravis Writes
Wednesday Play at The Hutt (09)
Tue, 16/03/2021 - 9:24amThis week, I want to talk more about opening leads.
There are two key things you should think about when making your opening lead: the SUIT you are going to lead and which CARD in that suit you should lead. For now, I want to focus on opening leads against a TRUMP contract.
Categories: Vil Gravis Writes
Tricky Questions (11)
Wed, 10/03/2021 - 10:49amYou are South each time.
1. AQT8T62T82AT8
This bidding problem has three bidding sequences: You are South and dealer and pass, so does West and North. East opens 1H. You pass and
a) West bids 2H and all pass. Your lead?
b) West bids 2H, East bids 3H and all pass. Your lead?
c) West bids 2H, East 3H and West 4H, all pass. Your lead?
Categories: Vil Gravis Writes
Tricky Answers (10)
Wed, 10/03/2021 - 10:30amYou are South each time. These questions arose in a recent Multigrade tournament.
1. Match Points Dealer E All Vul
Your hand:
TK73AT543KJ92
The bidding has been:
SouthWestNorthEast-PassPass123Pass3NTPass4PassPassPass
Categories: Vil Gravis Writes
Tricky Questions (10)
Mon, 08/03/2021 - 2:14pmYou are South each time. These questions arose in a recent Multigrade tournament.
1. Match Points Dealer E All Vul
Your hand:
TK73AT543KJ92
The bidding has been:
SouthWestNorthEast-PassPass123Pass3NTPass4PassPassPass
Categories: Vil Gravis Writes
Tricky Answers (09)
Mon, 08/03/2021 - 2:02pmYou are South each time.
1. Match Points Dealer S NS Vul
Your hand:
AJT9AJT642KQ3
SouthWestNorthEast1Pass1Pass?
What would you bid?
The ‘book’ bid is 3D: 15-17 and a ‘good’ six card suit. The problem with that is that partner will pass with about 6 HCP and five hearts, or bid 3NT with nothing in diamonds and a bare spade stop. I must agree with Bob: “3H. Partner will bid 3NT if that’s right.” Three card raises are sometimes necessary, though 2H may work out better at match points. A new slant from Dean: “2C Forcing”. When I questioned this he told me it was 100% forcing and I should tell my panelists so, and ‘bring them into the 20th century’. A hundred years too late, Deano, it’s already the 21st century!
Categories: Vil Gravis Writes
Wednesday Play at The Hutt (07)
Fri, 05/03/2021 - 8:44pmIn the next few issues I want to address OPENING LEADS. Did you know just how important the opening lead is? It is important because it begins the DEFENCE. When you are defending a contract, it is not very productive to simply play some random cards or take any aces you have. You must have a plan for the total defence.
Here are some things you need to think about if you are a defender:
There are THIRTEEN cards to be played. There are thirteen tricks, and you will take some of them but you do not always need to take them from the beginning. The important thing is how and when you take your tricks, and how your cards will combine with your partner’s to take your tricks.
Categories: Vil Gravis Writes
Tricky Questions (09)
Mon, 01/03/2021 - 2:26pmYou are South each time.
1. Match Points Dealer S NS Vul
Your hand:
AJT9AJT642KQ3
SouthWestNorthEast1Pass1Pass?
What would you bid?
Categories: Vil Gravis Writes
Tricky Answers (08)
Mon, 01/03/2021 - 2:13pmYou are South each time.
1. Match Points
Dealer E NS Vul
AKJ4J762AJT63
a) The bidding has been:
SouthWestNorthEast---2XPass3Pass?
East’s 2H is a standard weak two, 6-10 HCP and six card suit.
What would you bid?
The consensus of respondents was that IF you are playing Lebensohl, you should raise to 4D but if not, pass is best. What is Lebensohl, you may ask? For the uninitiated, after your takeout double of a weak two, 2NT is WEAK and any bid at the three level has some values, say 8+ HCP. Makes a big difference doesn’t it?
Categories: Vil Gravis Writes
Wednesday Play at The Hutt (06)
Fri, 26/02/2021 - 2:16pmThis week there were a number of interesting deals but I want to revisit last week’s deal because there were a number of responses to my request for bidding suggestions. Let’s take a look at the East-West hands again.
Board 17 Dealer N Nil Vul
A5T32AKT6AJ86KQT872A44K432
The bidding should start the same way every time. But after that, the possibilities are numerous.
Categories: Vil Gravis Writes
Some Tricky Questions (08)
Tue, 23/02/2021 - 11:24amYou are South each time.
1. Match Points
Dealer E NS Vul
AKJ4J762AJT63
a) The bidding has been:
SouthWestNorthEast---2XPass3Pass?
East’s 2H is a standard weak two, 6-10 HCP and six card suit.
What would you bid?
Categories: Vil Gravis Writes
Wednesday Play at The Hutt (05)
Tue, 23/02/2021 - 6:14amAnother very good reason for having a TRUMP suit is that there are invariably more options in the declarer play, giving you ways of improving your score without taking risks that you would not be able to take if you were playing in No Trumps.
Board 17 from Wednesday 17/02/2021
Dealer N Nil Vul
63QJ96QJ987T9A5T32AKT6AJ86KQT872A44K432J94K875532Q75
Categories: Vil Gravis Writes
Wednesday Play at The Hutt (04)
Mon, 22/02/2021 - 1:28pmThis deal provides a perfect sequel to the one I reviewed last time. Clearly, none of the Wests read it, or if they did, they ignored it.
Board 24 from Wednesday 10/02/2021
Dealer W Nil Vul
QJ628Q73KQT85A874AKQT32A42J96JT9865AJ74KT953754K2963
Categories: Vil Gravis Writes
Some Tricky Answers (06)
Wed, 10/02/2021 - 8:38amYou are South each time.
Dealer S NS Vul
AKJ43AJ72AJT6
a) The bidding has been:
SouthWestNorthEast12PassPass?
What would you bid?
Categories: Vil Gravis Writes
Wednesday Play at The Hutt
Fri, 05/02/2021 - 7:56amBoard 21 from Wednesday 3/02/2021
Dealer N NS Vul
T965Q5KT9A864AQJ4AJ76QKQJ3K832K82A754377T943J862T952
Despite the fact that I intend to focus on play in this series, the bidding on this board is worth addressing because it should be easy if you follow basic ‘rules’: West opens 1C, the lowest four card suit. East bids 1D. No other option. West bids 1H, next four card suit ‘up the line’. East bids 1S. West now has heard enough to bid 4S. A trump fit has been found and even opposite East’s minimum six points, West has the POINTS and TRUMP SUPPORT for GAME. Simple. Yet only four out of 12 EW pairs were in 4S.
Categories: Vil Gravis Writes
Tricky Questions (06)
Fri, 29/01/2021 - 1:19pmVil springs back into his challenging series after a good break over the holidays. Here are some more tricky questions:
You are South each time.
1. Match Points
Dealer S NS Vul
AKJ43AJ72AJT6
a) The bidding has been:
SouthWestNorthEast12PassPass?
What would you bid?
Categories: Vil Gravis Writes
Tricky Answers (05)
Mon, 21/12/2020 - 7:58pmThanks for your input to the tricky questions and answers. Maybe we will do this again next year if there are any interesting ones, maybe you will have some to add from your own experiences, please do send me anything of interest. In the meantime, here is the result, in Tricky Answers No.5
1. Match Points
Dealer S Nil Vul
Q42AQJT4AKJ63
The bidding has been:
SouthWestNorthEast1213Pass?
(1. weak jump overcall)
What would you bid?
Categories: Vil Gravis Writes
Tricky Questions (05)
Wed, 16/12/2020 - 9:45pmHi folks, here are the final tricky questions for the year. You are South each time.
1. Match Points
Dealer S Nil Vul
Q42AQJT4AKJ63
The bidding has been:
SouthWestNorthEast1213Pass?
(1. weak jump overcall)
What would you bid?
Categories: Vil Gravis Writes