In this section I would be putting together all the information regarding bridge facilites in the various cities in India.The information may be sketchy at present but would be made comprehensive in future.
Lucknow Allahabad Varanasi Meerut Dehradun Ghaziabad Kanpur Moradabad Delhi Chandigarh Jaipur Mumbai Pune Asansol Bangalore Chennai
In this section I would cover tournaments happening in India and more so the tournaments happening in Northern part of India and in the state of Uttar Pradesh.
Dehradun Club Invitational Bridge Tournament is taking place at Dehradun Club from June 18-20.
In this section I would cover one good deal which appeared in the Weekly Bridge Tournaments at Lucknow or in a recent tournament with explanations.
What would you bid and how experts bid shows this weeks deal ?
| Dealer: North Vul: None | |
SOUTH A Q 7 3 9 8 5 K Q 10 8 6 4 - |
| North | East | South | West |
| Pass | Pass | 1 | 1 |
| X | Pass | ? |
This deal happened in a matchpoint pairs event in Lucknow recently and was posted with slight variation at bridgespace website. For those who don't know bridgespace website is a wonderful place to test your bidding skills with well known experts.
South opens Standard 1 Diamond after North passes, West overcalls 1 Heart and North negative doubles. After East passes what would you bid ?
There are many posers for South. Whether North's negative double promises 4 Spades, Whether South should bid Diamonds or Spades, Whether there is a possibility to describe both Diamonds and Spades ?
Here is how experts responded.
Brian Glubok: 1 S . Tread lightly this round.
Melih Ozdil: 1 S . Club Void and 3 small hearts -no extras. With equal vulnerability I prefer to wait and see...
Andrew Robson: 2 S . Seemingly lovely hand (apart from Hxxx), but may disappoint facing a likely 4-3-1-5 shape.
Billy Eisenberg: 2 S. If not for the danger of 3 H losers I would bid 3S.
Christo Drumev: 2 S.This way I also confirm my good diamonds (at least 5 ).
Eric Kokish: 2 S. Suggests unbalanced minimum in HCP, but good playing strength. But only if DBL showed 4 S . O/wise, a normal 1 S. 4S looks like too much
with that H holding and 3S, undiscussed, is not this hand.
Larry Cohen: 2 S. I'd like to bid more because I am afraid of LHO introducing clubs. But,
partner could esaily have clubs bottled up, so I'm not going to go crazy and bid more than I am worth. If partner has some normal 4-3-2-4 9-count, bidding 4 S will just get us a minus score for no reason. If he has a
better hand, he can still continue over 2 S.
Michael Polowan: 2 S. Two spades here seems normal. I've always played 2S here as showing just a happy raise; a shaped minimum opening with four trumps.One spade is a weak NT with four; or even three spades without a heart stopper. Bid 3Swith a hand that would comfortably raise to three after 1D-1S. I think this is the normal approach.
Sandra Landy: 2S. As I play it double does not promise 4 spades but if partner has not got spades she can control the auction. 1S might be bid on 3 cards occasionally but 2S promises four. 3S should have more
points and 4S is overstating the playing strength. So 2S must be right.
Chris Compton: 3S. Enough is enough, 4S is too much, 2S is too little.
Ron Klinger: 3S. Opposite the wrong hand, 2S could be too high. Opposite the right hand, slam might make. 3S has the advantage of indicating that your diamond suit is
genuine while 2S might yet be a balanced hand.
Tom Townsend: 3S. Just a limit bid. If he's not up for it neither am I. Presume double showed four spades. If not I bid less.
David Birman: 4S. Distributive - no many points.
John A. Mac Gregor: 4S. I would feel more comfortable if RHO had raised hearts as their silence is suspect. However, as little as King fourth in spades and a red Ace gives us a good play for game and may stampede my LHO into an indiscretion.
Most experts feel that Shape should be communicated. What bid communicates the shape is where they differ. Larry Cohen and John Mac Gregor are worried about competitive auction.
This was the full deal.
| Dealer: North Vul: None Lead: J | NORTHJ 10 6 4A 3A J 7 2J 9 3 | |
| WESTK 9 8K J 10 7 4-A Q 8 7 6 | EAST5 2Q 6 29 5 3K 10 5 4 2 | |
| SOUTHA Q 7 39 8 5K Q 10 8 6 4- |
| North | East | South | West |
| Pass | Pass | 1 | 1 |
| Pass | Pass | 1 | 2 |
| 3 | Pass | 4 | X |
| XX | 5 | Pass | Pass |
| X | Pass | Pass | Pass |
Here the auction was different. North doesn't negative doubles and instead passes using traditional definition of negative double which should promise Clubs also. North later raises South's 1 Spade to three level only after West has been able to introduce Club suit. South's 4 Spade has been doubled and then redoubled by North to confirm Diamonds but that is not clear to South and NS allow EW to play in 5 Club doubled which scores.
4 Spade by NS so also 5 Diamond by NS make.
Those experts who bid 3 Spade or 4 Spade would be lucky as they would score their contracts as it would be difficult for West's to introduce Club suit at 4 or 5 level.
Par contract is 6 Clubs doubled by EW which is one down.
Perhaps in this deal tactical bidding to keep EW off pays more.