In-between updating our website, I go into OKB to take a breather, and look up my friends - Egil, of Norway, rma of Beijing, or KCR and Foxxie of USA, and spec at their table. It gets interesting when egil is a spec somewhere also, when we share views. We will share them with you now.....

You are defending 5C, and this is what you are faced with:

83 JT9754 AT965 - - AQ1042 AK2 J3 1074   The Michaels convention works like this: - If your RHO opens a minor, a direct cuebid shows the majors, with at least 5-5 in the two suits; -If your RHO opens a major, the direct cuebid shows the other major and an unspecified minor, 5-5 again. Partner bids NT to enquire what your minor is.

Both vulnerable hands were rotated for convenience. WEST 1 Dble NORTH ecofin 2 Pass EAST 4 Pass SOUTH mlo 5 Pass   You lead the K. Partner contributes the 3, and declarer plays the 8. You decide to cash the A, and you receive the king from pard (!) and the 9 from declarer. How do you continue? Try it, before reading the solution that appears after the next hand.

iceking 10 Q954 AKJ103 K63 Dlr: West Vul: Both shroit J9832 K 9754 852   altbergr AQ654 AJ7632 6 Q   ozdilm K7 108 Q82 AJ10974   West North East South shroit iceking altbergr ozdilm Pass 1D 1H 2C Pass 2NT 3H Pass Pass 3NT Pass Pass Pass Opening lead: S4 Result: Made 6 Score: 690 Points: 11.52

The 2NT bid sure made it difficult for altbergr to introduce the spades, and whilst 3NT made with 3 overtricks, a 4S contract was cold by E-W!! The solution? Simply bid 2 Michaels, and partner (bless his soul) will judge the hand and leap to the 4-level, to make or as a cheap save! Why, you may even get doubled there!     lol

Solution to 5Cx hand

hand rotated W, Both NORTH 83 J109754 A10965 - - -   WEST AQ1042 AK2 J3 1074   EAST KJ765 Q63 Q42 83   SOUTH 9 8 K87 AKQJ9652     You led the K, and you then cashed the A. Partner contributed the 3 and the K on those two tricks. At the table egil and I watched West play the A at trick 3. Uh oh. See next column.

Declarer ruffed, and played off all the trumps. East got so squeezed that we felt his ping would explode:   NORTH 8 J A10 - - -   WEST Q10 - - - J3 - - -   EAST - - - Q Q42 - - -   SOUTH - - - - - - K87 5

East guided his partner well with his first 2 plays. If West plays the Q at trick 3, the defense will prevail.

On the run of the trumps, West keeps the A and J, 3. East, of course, keeps his three diamonds intact. "Well defended, pard."

Down 1.

 

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