The Overlooked Flat Board

by Philip Adler

When one writes up a match report, one tends to concentrate on the swing deals. But occasionally a flat board raises some interesting points.

You pick up as dealer with nobody vulnerable:

What is your opening bid, one club or one diamond? (Sorry, you're not allowed a weak notrump.)

Whatever you bid, it goes three spades on your left, negative double from partner, and pass on your right. What now?

This hand occurred during Round 1. I was sitting behind Erik Saelensminde from Norway. I was expecting him to open one diamond because if the next player overcalls one spade or two spades and partner makes a negative double, he could rebid in clubs.

Yes, agreed, especially after a one-spade overcall, when advancer does not raise spades, there is a good case for rebidding one notrump. But to rebid two notrump after a two-spade overcall is surely going a bit far. And even if it would not promise a spade stopper, when partner continues with three spades, what are you going to do?

Anyway, back at the table, Saelensminde opened one club. Then, after three spades - double - pass, what would you have done in his position?

I decided that I would have passed. It might result in minus 530, but that would be unlikely.

Saelensminde rebid three notrump, my second choice. (Even after a one-diamond opening, a four-club rebid is neither one thing nor the other.)

This was the full deal:

Board 14. Dealer East. None vul.
	♠ Q ♥ A 10 6 4 ♦ 10 8 4 ♣ Q J 9 8 6
♠ K 4 ♥ K J 9 7 5 ♦ K J 6 3 ♣ 10 4		♠ 8 3 2 ♥ 8 3 ♦ A Q 7 5 ♣ A K 5 3
	♠ A J 10 9 7 6 5 ♥ Q 2 ♦ 9 2 ♣ 7 2

Three spades doubled would have cost 300.

Against three notrump, South led the spade jack. Declarer put up dummy's king, played a diamond to his ace, and led a heart to dummy's jack. North won with the ace and shifted to the club queen, but East won the trick, played a heart to the queen and king, and established dummy's hearts. He took one spade, three hearts, four diamonds and two clubs.

Note that if you open one diamond and rebid four clubs, partner might convert to four diamonds, which you can make, but he will be tempted to bid four hearts, which will fail: spade to the ace, spade ruff, and await two more trump tricks.

After the play was over, Gabriel Chagas (North) asked Saelensminde what he had in spades.

"Three to the eight."

"Nice bid," replied Chagas with a respectful smile on his face.

This was the auction in the other room:

When Glenn Groetheim bid only two spades, he gave his opponents just enough room.

North led the spade queen, and when South won with his ace, he played a second spade. But since South had no entry, he might have considered a shift. Leading a club at trick two would have defeated the contract.

Declarer crossed to the diamond queen at trick three, then ran the heart eight. He took the same ten tricks for a push.