Free Weekly Instant Tournament - March 24 - Board 7

Board 7
Both vulnerable

♠ A K Q 5 3  ♥ Q 9 5  ♦ J 7  ♣ K 7 3

I have 15 HCP, so I can open either with one notrump or with one spade.

When I was a beginner, I once opened one notrump with a five-card major and got a stern lecture from an opponent, who apparently considered it his duty to educate young players. "It's anti-field," he said groundlessly.

I've never understood equating "anti-field" with "bad." If you think an action has negative expectation, I'll listen to your reasoning. But what do I care if it's anti-field? If it has positive expectation and the field doesn't know that, "anti-field" is good.

In my experience, the fear of missing a five-three fit when you open with one notrump is overblown. Odds are, partner doesn't have precisely three cards in your major. And, even if he does, it's not necessarily right to play in the major. If you're worried about it, you can play Puppet Stayman. But I prefer simply not to worry about it. If  we miss a five-three fit, so be it. My primary concern in is whether opening the major will give me a rebid problem.

I usually open with the major when I have 17 HCP, since I have an easy two-notrump rebid. But with 15 or 16 HCP, I tend to open with one notrump. That's an awkward range for opening with one of a suit. It's not good enough for aggressive action later on, but it is good enough that you can miss a game if you treat the hand as a minimum.  

Some players use other criteria. Larry Edwards, for example, once told me he avoids one notrump with five cards in one major and a doubleton in the other. That way, if his partner transfers to the other major and passes, at least he isn't playing his five-two fit instead of his five-three fit.

Recently, I encountered Steve Robinson's advice. Like me, he is concerned primarily with avoiding rebid problems. With 17 HCP, he opens with the major and rebids two notrump. With 16 HCP, he opens with one notrump. With 15 HCP, his choice depends upon the major. With hearts, he opens with one notrump to avoid a problem after one heart--one spade. But with spades he prefers one spade. With 15 HCP, he says, you can rebid a three-card minor over a forcing notrump without too much fear of missing a game.

I decided to give Steve's approach a try. I bid one spade, partner bids one notrump, forcing, and I rebid two clubs. Partner bids three spades, showing a three-card invitational raise. Obviously I'm accepting. But I might as well offer partner a choice of games. I bid three notrump, and partner corrects to four spades. LHO leads the club queen.

	NORTH Robot ♠ 9 6 4 ♥ J 6 ♦ K Q 9 8 ♣ A 9 8 6
	SOUTH Phillip ♠ A K Q 5 3 ♥ Q 9 5 ♦ J 7 ♣ K 7 3

West	North	East	South
Robot	Robot	Robot	Phillip
			1 ♠
Pass	1 NT	Pass	2 ♣
Pass	3 ♠	Pass	3 NT
Pass	4 ♠	(All pass)

The one spade opening got us to our five-three fit. Had I opened with one notrump, partner would have raised to three. I'll decide later whether I'm happy about that or not.

If spades break, I have nine tricks after knocking out the diamond ace. To make ten, I need a heart trick, a heart ruff, or a third diamond trick. If I go after a heart ruff, I must knock out the diamond ace first and take my club discard. If I play a heart first, they can win and lead another club, setting up a fourth winner for the defense.

Knocking out the diamond ace before drawing trump can fail in a number of ways. Someone may have a doubleton diamond, preventing me from taking my club pitch. Or someone may have a stiff club and get a club ruff. Even if neither of those things happens, they can stop the heart ruff simply by leading trumps every time they get in. I have to lose the lead three times, so they can take all the trumps off the table.

It looks better simply to draw trump and hope I can find a tenth trick somewhere. I can try to drop the diamond ten in three rounds. Failing that, I can finesse against the heart ten.

I must win this trick in my hand to preserve an entry to the diamonds, so I play low. East plays the deuce, and I win with the king. I cash three trumps. East pitches the heart deuce on the third round. I lead the diamond jack--deuce--eight--ace. East shifts to the eight of hearts. That gives me my tenth trick. Making four.

	NORTH Robot ♠ 9 6 4 ♥ J 6 ♦ K Q 9 8 ♣ A 9 8 6
WEST Robot ♠ 10 8 7 ♥ A 10 3 ♦ 10 3 2 ♣ Q J 10 4		EAST Robot ♠ J 2 ♥ K 8 7 4 2 ♦ A 6 5 4 ♣ 5 2
	SOUTH Phillip ♠ A K Q 5 3 ♥ Q 9 5 ♦ J 7 ♣ K 7 3

61%. The diamond ten was dropping, so I didn't need the heart shift.

How did the one spade opening work out? As I said earlier, if I open with one notrump, partner will raise to three. Which contract is better?

If spades split, three notrump requires four-four hearts or no heart lead. Four spades requires some luck in one of the red suits, although an opening lead in one of them is all the luck you need. It appears that four spades is better at IMPs. But three notrump does have some chances if spades don't split, so it's not clear.

It's even less clear at matchpoints. Today, however, three notrump was better. West can beat it with a heart lead, but he has a normal club lead. And, with the diamond ten dropping, three notrump makes four. Actually, it's somewhat surprising that plus 420 is above average.

On an empirical basis then, we have to credit the win to opening with one notrump and accidentally missing the five-three spade fit.