Board #13 -- Both vul, you are in second seat.
Opener bids 1NT (15-17). You hold -- 
T64
7
KQ98542
T2
(You are playing Cappelliti/Hamilton defense, so you can bid 2C showing a 1 suited hand if you want to compete cheaply, or you can bid 3 or more diamonds, or you can pass or or psyche).
Board #14 -- You are dealer, none vulnerable.
KT2
A98
QT
KJ987
You South Partner North
-----------------------
1C P 1N P
P X P 2S
?
What do you do?
Board #15 -- White vs Red. Opponents silent.
You hold KJ32
AT
87
KJ973
Partner opens 1NT (15-17). What's your plan? (You are playing Jacoby Transfers, but with no good/bad acceptance into minors, if that matters).
If you bid stayman then ...
Partner responds 2 Hearts. Now what?
What I did and results below...
Board #13
I took the coward's path and passed. After the 1NT opening, it seems to me that 3D is offering up too much. 2C to try and get to 2D is tempting, but I figured it would just reveal awful breaks. Was I right? Well, any one board doesn't offer proof...
|
KQ97
64
AT
KQJ64 | |
AJ2
Q852
J763
A7 |
 |
T64
7
KQ98542
T2 |
|
853
AKJT93
--
9853 | |
Pretty much south is going to ignore me and shoot the game, obviously. At least one table saw E/W sack in 5 Diamonds, but due to duplication in the blacks, that goes for 800. That's pretty unlucky (and impossible to determine). Flip the black suits and 5D is a good sac. 4 Hearts was also doubled at one table (making). Slightly above average for -620. Since any one hand doesn't answer it, I still don't know what I should have done.
Board #14
|
J843
T73
KJ82
A4 | |
965
542
A93
Q632 |
|
KT2
A98
QT
KJ987 |
|
AQ7
KQJ6
7654
T5 | |
I took the push to 3C, which was passed out. This was off two, but undoubled, for -100. 2 Spades is tricky, but presumably declarer gets a club lead, ducks (to prevent a diamond through) ... wins the return? knocks out the heart ace. I think declarer will lose a spade, a heart, two diamonds and a club, assuming defense doesn't lead diamonds or do anything silly.
But is this indicative that I'm right to go on? I don't know. I should discount the KTx of spades as being defensively oriented. I expected a 4 card fit, although partner would bypass crummy four diamonds to bid 1NT.
I think South should have just doubled 1C (AQ7 is as good as xxxx). That also may let them find their diamond fit. Although they may have trouble resisting playing in the major.
A possible auction:
Me South West North
-------------------
1C X 2C 2S
3C P P 3D
Float
or west could pass 1C and which point North jumps to two spades and ends the auction.
Hand #15 -- Again, one hand doesn't prove anything, but I tried stayman and bid 3NT after hearing hearts. The clubs slam requires a bit ... but it's there.
|
8764
762
J964
T2 | |
AT9
K83
KT32
AQ3 |
|
KJ32
AT
87
KJ973 |
|
Q5
QJ954
AQ5
864 | |
For club slam to make, south has to have the diamond ace and you have to find the spade queen. (Actually, west having AT9 instead of Axx is important, too). Could you make it if the diamond was off? Assuming you win a heart lead, pull trump, and lead a diamond to the King and it lost. If South has the Qx and north has the Jxx, but they'd probably continue hearts, which would destroy any red suit squeeze (real or pseudo). So I'm thinking not.
Even though slam makes, it's a lucky make. But do people play that 1NT-2C-reponse-3C is a club suit + a major and a GF/invite? Or is it "Agree trump suit (if you bid 2H/2S) and looking for game/slam?" I realized I have no good understanding in casual partnerships of how to show this.
Perhaps if I had the right tools, I could have tried safely. I've never really been sure how to show 4-6 (major minor) or 4-5 with slam interest after 1NT with standard gadgets.
Result -- Nobody bid slam, but about half the declarers made 6 (one of them in 4S). Since we didn't, we got 1.5. (Some of the boards are only played 8 times, making it a seven top. Actually, the computer is using those weird fractions, but I'm rounding).
Board 14: Passing 1NT is reasonable, particularly if you play it 8-10. Getting to play 1NT white is winning matchpoints. If your opponents know that, they'll pretty much always balance, which is one reason to play 1C-1NT as 8-10. Opener can double if he knows his partner has something. If you play 1NT is 6-9, you probably should bid 2C, since your opponents will likely be acting and you want to authorize partner to bid 3C.
Bidding over 2S is a guess, but I think it's right to pass. The Law of Total Tricks, however, suggests that you bid. They have 7 or 8 spades and you have 8 or 9 clubs. That means total trumps is 15-17. If they are 16 or 17, you want to bid 3C. My experience, however, is that when all the hands are balanced, the LTT overestimates by a little. The SK10x is about a 1/3 trick downward adjustment, too. My guess is that you should expect 14-16 total tricks, which means if you make at the three-level, they are going down at least one. +110 vs. +50 or +100 isn't enough of a gain to risk turning a plus into a minus. Going plus is very big at matchpoints.
Looks like 2S is cold and 3C is down one. At both white, you want to compete to 3C, but I'd drag my heels with the 4333 hand and sell to 2S.
Board 15: Start with Stayman and then bid 3C when partner bids 2H. Partner can still have two small diamonds.
A club slam really isn't in the picture, and you are not going to bid it, but there may be diamond weakness, in which case you might get to 4S on a 4-3 or 5C.
Making six is easy on a spade lead. On a diamond lead, declarer might get spades right as an avoidance play. With the C10's coming down, entry problems are mitigated. Note that it's really not needed to see the C10 early; if you cash the CA, then play the CQ, as long as the next player follows suit, it's safe to overtake with the CK. Also note that it is normal for third-hand to put in the DQ at T1 to prevent declarer's hold-up, but it might not be a good play on this hand.
In Standard, 1NT-2C; 2x-3m is natural and forcing, promises at least a five-card suit, and shows four of a non-fitting major. Some play that it is slammish, but that's not best. Even at matchpoints, 5C making is better than 3NT down two. If you do not have a way to force in a minor directly (transfers, the dreaded Walsh relay, etc.), then the implication of a four-card major is lost. (And 3m is alertable.) A few play 3m as invitational or just to play, but without extremely complex structures, that's not an efficient use of bidding space.