0019 - Major Suit Checkback

Whether we want to admit it (or not) we are all addicts of bidding conventions, maybe some more than others and maybe some less than others. Some might be minimalists like Ken Gibbs, but most partnerships will have a fair number of conventions in their bidding agreements. Some conventions are official like Wolff Signoff (capitalized) and some conventions are accepted as an extension of a convention. This deal is about one of those accepted extensions called major suit checkback (not capitalized).

This deal was played as Board 9 on The Common Game (TCG) Tue. December 31, 2019.

Hand Evaluation: North deals and with just 3 hcp passes. East in 2nd seat with just 7 losers would like to bid, but with just 7 hcp, East's hand doesn't meet the near average strength rule for an opening hand plus the ♠K is somewhat misplaced, East passes. Give East the ♥K instead of the ♠K and East might be justified in opening this hand. South in 3rd seat with 11 hcp strongly considers opening, but the ♥K is misplaced values. In addition, if South opens South will be giving away where values lie. Put the values of the ♥K (3 hcp) into one of the other suits (any of them) and I would open South's hand 1♦ in 3rd seat.

How should West with 19 hcp bid this deal?

here is the complete auction ...

West	North Pass	East Pass	South Pass
1 ♦	Pass	1 ♥	Pass
2 NT1	Pass	3♦2	Pass
3 ♥3	Pass	4 ♥	All pass

1.  18-19 hcp balanced

2.  major suit checkback

3.  3 hearts

4♥ by East 

Lead: ♣Q

 Auction: After 3 passes West with 19 hcp in 4th seat considers opening 2NT, but a 2NT opening bid (19-20-21 hcp) typically has 5 losers. Although West has 19 hcp with 6 losers it rates more like the 18-19 hcp balanced hand it really is, and thus, West opens the bidding 1♦ with the plan to jump to show values. After East responds 1♥, West jumps to 2NT showing 18-19 hcp and a balanced hand.

After the jump to 2NT, East's bid of 3♣ would be artificial Wolff Signoff starting a bidding sequence to stop below game level. East bid of 3♦ is artificial major suit checkback game forcing (like New Minor Forcing) asking opener to further define his hand. Please note major suit checkback (again like New Minor Forcing) is an asking bid NOT a telling bid ... 3♦ does not promise 5 hearts.

In the auction here West makes the best descriptive bid of his hand, West bids 3♥ to show 3-cards in hearts. It is now easy for East with 11 support points to bid 4♥.

here is the trick table ... 

4 ♥ by East

Trick	Lead	2nd	3rd	4th
T1. S	♣ Q	K	4	5
2. W	♠ 3	4	K	7
3. E	♥ 2	K	A	5
4. W	♣ 2	♦  9	A	7
5. E	♣ 9	10	6	♦  7
T6. S	♣ J	♥ 10	♦  6	8
7. W	♥ Q	3	6	♦  2
8. W	♦  A	J	4	10
9. W	♦  5	♥ 7	♥ 8	8
10. E	♥ 9	♠ 9	♠ 2	J
11. N	♠ 8	6	10	A
12. W	♦  Q	♠ J	♥ 4	K
13. E	♣ 3	♠ Q	♦  3	♠ 5

Made 5 — NS −650

Play: South makes a natural opening lead of the ♣ Q. There are two tricky parts to the play of this contract. First, declarer (East) recognizes the need keep the ♣ A for an entry into his hand and wins the first trick T1 in dummy (West) with the ♣ K. Second, many will play this hand only making 4. The way to make 5 on this deal is for East to to recognize the value of the ♥ 98 in hand and on trick 6 T6 to ruff a club in dummy with the ♥ 10.

Fred Ferguson
https://hhibridge.blogspot.com/

The HHI Bridge blog is dedicated to a better understanding of the game of bridge. There is not just one way to bid or play a hand of bridge, there will be differences of opinion and that is OK ... feel free to make a comment on a post.