FRANK STEWART BRIDGE

OFF-SHAPE NOTRUMPS

I was watching a match on-line, and with nobody vulnerable, the North players held A 5, J 6 3, K J 9 5 4 3, A J across from South’s K 7 2, None, A 10 6 2, 10

8 7 5 3 2. Six diamonds was cold, and I thought that after North opened one diamond, they might get there. What happened? Both Norths opened 1NT! Then one North-South played at a club partial; the other managed to beat four hearts by East- West. So much for a diamond slam.

Opening 1NT with unbalanced pattern has become such a rage that the ACBL now lets pairs have a systemic agreement that they may open 1NT with a singleton high honor. In my opinion, a 1NT opening promises a balanced hand, and breaking promises is no way to reach sound contracts, much less foster partnership trust.

When today’s East opened 1NT, he survived. North-South bid to four spades, as they likely would have done had East opened one diamond. West led his singleton diamond, and East took the ace and returned the deuce. West ruffed South’s king and led a club, and East won and led the queen of diamonds. South ruffed with the ace of trumps, and West mulled and threw a club. Declarer then played thus: club ruff with dummy’s nine of trumps; trump to the queen; club ruff with the king; ace of hearts; heart ruff. He drew trumps and took the last three tricks with the Q-10 of clubs and a trump. Making four. And if West discards a heart at Trick Four, South can set up dummy’s long hearts.

West can beat four spades: When South ruffs the third diamond, West must underruff, keeping length in both clubs and hearts.

East dealer

N-S vulnerable