Control Freaks

As West, neither side vulnerable, you hold:

West A J 6 3 K Q 9 4 2 10 10 6 2

Suppose I put a noose around your neck and make you open 1. (Nowadays, many players would supply their own noose) and East responds2NT, a forcing heart raise. Despite your minimum, you must bid 3, systemically showing a singleton diamond. Partner then bids 3. What is your next action?

Say instead that you pass as dealer, East opens 1 and South jumps to2NT, “Unusual.” You try 4, showing a big heart fit and diamond shortness. North saves at 5, your partner bids 5 and South passes. Are you through?

One more question. Your partner opens 1. Which of these 10 HCP hands do you prefer?

A K 6 3 K 9 8 4 2 10 10 6 2

or

A J 6 3 K Q 9 4 2 10 10 6 2

Perhaps the most controversial aspect of cuebidding (or “control” bidding) to slam, and one I have written about before, is whether cuebids below game should be cooperative or constructive. Suppose you hold:

West J 9 6 3 A J 6 Q 8 2 K Q 7

You open 1 and raise partner’s 1 response to 2. He jumps to 4, a natural try for slam. You have only one ace and one king and no high honor in trumps, and your pattern is as flat as a pancake. Must you show your ace by cuebidding 4 or may you sign off at 4?

I believe a majority of experts would bid 4. The minority view, with which I concur, is that a cuebid shows slam interest, and mandatory cuebids dilute the major advantage of cuebidding — the chance for either partner to exercise judgment.

A K 10 7 5 4 8 2 A K J 5 5

J 9 6 3 A J 6 Q 8 2 K Q 7

WEST 1 4 4NT 6

EAST 1 2 4 5

6 is only fair, always down with a heart opening lead and needing to pick up the trumps otherwise. After East cuebid 4, I can’t blame West for driving to slam. The problem with cuebidding on East’s hand is psychological. It’s easy to say in theory that 4 is forced and shows no extra strength, but in practice West will be more likely to bid a lot if he hears East cuebid. In my view, the auction should be

WEST 1 4 4NT 6

EAST 1 2 4 5 Pass

I watched the deal below in a strong IMP game on OKbridge.

North K 10 8 7 4 8 3 9 5 4 Q 5 4
West A J 6 3 K Q 9 4 2 10 10 6 2	East 5 2 A 10 7 6 5 A J 8 3 A 9
South Q 9 J K Q 7 6 2 K J 8 7 3

West	North	East	South
1	Pass	2NT	Pass
3	Pass	3	Pass
3	Pass	4	Pass
4	Pass	6	All pass

To open as West wouldn’t have occurred to me, but to each his own. I will argue with anyone, however, who thinks West must cuebid 3, and I will argue with anyone who thinks East was wrong to bid 6 when West suggested slam (well, didn’t they?) by cuebidding.

At most tables, West didn’t open. East started with 1, and many East Wests had to cope with minor suit competition by North South. The usual result was +450, though a few North/Souths saved at five of a minor and took penalties ranging from 500 to 1100. At one table the auction was:

West	North	East	South
Pass	Pass	1	2NT
4	5	5	Pass
6	All pass

No doubt East should have doubled 5 since they could visualize a defense starting with the A and a diamond ruff, a heart to the ace and another diamond ruff. He was punished for competing with 5 when West forgot that they had shown their hand by bidding 4. Moreover, West’s hand wasn’t as strong as its high card count suggested since the Q would often be a wasted honor. If West’s Q and J were the K, 6 would be cold.

The dubious heart slam was reached at yet another table, and South led the DK. East took the ace, drew trumps and led a low spade from dummy. North unwisely put up his king, after which East emerged with 12 tricks. So maybe it wasn’t such a bad slam after all.