This is a hand that occurred at the Moses Lake Sectional at the beginning of the month. I was not playing Mexican two diamonds with all the bells and whistles so I only got to 6NT and not a grand in diamonds.
The extended system: Partner has opened two diamonds showing an 18 to 19 high-card-point balanced hand. Previous columns have explained the responses two hearts through three clubs. What about higher responses?
Three diamonds through three spades is Roman keycard Blackwood in the suit bid and three No Trump is keycard in clubs.
The bids of four clubs through four spades directly over two diamond opening are exclusion Blackwood in the suit bid. Keycard and exclusion bids complement the system very nicely. The last bell and whistle is Puppet Stayman to be discussed next column.
The bidding: South opens two diamonds with a balanced 18 points and North, with a void in clubs, immediately asks for aces and kings excluding the club suit. South shows two aces and one king. The king of clubs is ignored because it is opposite a void.
North bids a cool grand in diamonds. A grand in spades is also cold. However, I still got close to top marks in six notrump.
The Lead: The 10 of clubs looks like a natural and a safe lead but not here. One does not lead a suit if the opponent has a singleton or void in it because it may give declarer a discard. The nine of spades is the best lead.
The play: Declarer draws trump and claims.
Result: Seven diamonds making seven for +2140.
Do You Have The Basics?
Q10: This is the last of the Basic series. Can you use what you have learned about card play to answer the following question correctly?
You won the third round of trump, spades, on which partner has signalled with the QD.
Dummy (your Left hand opponent-LHO) has 98 and you have A72 of diamonds. Do you play a diamond?
The Creston Team Game is March 29 at 10:00am.