Weekly Hand Analysis - Mark Olsky - February 27, 2023 - Void

 

Question: West is void in Spades and South has taken a possible bid away from West.  Should West bid 2D to prevent East from going to 2 Spades?

Mark:

Interesting hand! 

East has several difficult decisions to make, starting with the opening bid. Anticipating a difficult rebid problem, many experts, but not most, would open 1NT holding 17HCP and good honors in all suits. I would open 1S just as East did, but I would not consider rebidding 2 spades. My choice would be between a reopening double and 3 diamonds. I think that an expert panel would lean heavily to the double. You might think that E should be promising good support for both minors, but we are not always dealt hands that lend themselves to perfect descriptions. The extra strength allows E to correct to 3 diamonds if W does bid 3 clubs. 

  Back to West's decision in the first round. I would not consider 3 diamonds because it is game forcing even when you are not playing "2/1 Game Force." 

Imagine what East will be thinking after W bids 3 diamonds and believes the bid means what it says. East is now thinking at least 5 diamonds, more likely 6. As the cards lie, you are more likely to end with a plus score at 2 spades than 5 diamonds (Not that I recommend 2 spades). 

Looking at all 4 hands, and even just looking at E-W, the best contract is 3 NT, ideally by E. The easiest way to get there is if E makes the 2nd best call in round 2, which is 2NT, technically promising 18 or 19 points, but shading by just 1 point with such a nice hand is not a crime. 3N can be made by W with excellent play if N leads the J of clubs, but W must take care not to win the first trick in hand. Either playing the king from dummy at trick 1 or ducking in both hands. That's really pretty advanced for this discussion, but if you can see the point, even after some prompting, you are advancing your declarer play to the next level. 

There's another good reason for E to make a reopening double at the first opportunity. What if partner has length and strength in the overcall suit and will happily convert the reopening double to penalty? Some Wests will consider doing that and likely will be rewarded with a great score on the actual hand, possibly a score better than bidding and making game. After the obvious J of diamonds lead against 2 hearts doubled, several lines of play might be considered by S, none of them successful.

  Just to play on a frequent theme to consider. West might like to make a bid that says "I have long diamonds, no support for partner's suit and a hand not strong enough to make a forcing bid." We have no such bid available. How about taking your time, fingering the pass card a few times and placing the 3 diamond bid on the table with a trembling hand? Even if that were an ethical option, which, of course, it is not, I wouldn't do it because I really like having my opponents in hearts. Partner could have the same support for diamonds that I have for spades.