| 3NT relay? |
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Dear Ed & Peter, Thanks for your time and energy. Reply Ed Hoogenkamp (South) Dear Goldie, First your question about the 3NT bid. This is 100% natural and thus to play. I recommend everyone NEVER to use 3NT in any situation as a conventional bid. Only top ranking pairs who check their agreements daily, can risk it (for example after a fit in a major suit is established in the bidding it's used as a 'last train' convention — Ed means Serious NT, -Peter — after a cuebid). If your partner disagrees, please let her write me a letter, we'll talk... About your second question: I checked the site where the demo can be downloaded (http://www.bridge-software.eu/paginas/overcalls.html) and as I understand it, you can find the order code in the demo version once you have activated it. So, look around and try to find that code in the demo. Mail me if you don't find it. Un saludo desde Barcelona Reply Peter van der Linden (North) Dear Goldie, I agree with Ed that your partner's 3NT bid was natural. No question about it: you were under obligation to pass! How else can you end up in 3NT if that is the right contract...? There are very, very few occasions where 3NT is not to play. I don't know what Ed means with his 'last train' (I thought last train was the bid under four in the established major suit, to show slam interest, but not necessarily a control in the bid suit). I know of only two 3NT bids that are not to play. And the first one only so if the convention below has been agreed upon:
1 'No Splinter': spade fit, 13-15 HCP, no shortness I'll explain the other one with two bidding diagrams.
1 'Serious NT': forcing; shows serious slam interest; if North were to bid 4♠ now, he would deny controls in three suits, for he is under obligation to show his controls. The Serious NT helps North to distinguish between a very strong South hand and a less strong hand, like South shows below (again 3♠ establishes spades as trumps):
1 Control showing; mild slam try (since South doesn't bid 3NT). North may now sign-off by bidding 4♠, thus denying slam interest, but not necessarily denying a control in a side suit All other 3NT bids should be to play. After all, 3NT is the king of contracts, the most frequently played contract. If ever 3NT is a possibility, one must be able to bid it. This is such an important principle, that it is even known in Barcelona, as you may have noticed...En hils fa Orkanger |