TNSC deals.

You hold

K
KQ9xxx
Q9xx
Axx

RHO is the dealer:

P-1H-1S-2D;
p-?

I called 2S. There has been no prior understandings on these situations but I choose to bid 2S anyways. This generally means one of the two - Good raise in Diamonds; or asking for spade stopper. It will be better if we have agreement on if it show extras or not. Here on opponents kept passing, not even making lead directing doubles or asking what the bids meant. Here is what happened.

K
K Q 9 x x x
Q 9 x x
A x x

Q x x
A
A K 10 x x x
x x x

P - 1H - 1S - 2D;
p - 2S - p - 3S;
p - 4C - p - 4D;
p - 5D - End.

As you can see, slam in diamonds is a down unless there is a heart void with East.
In which case 6NT is safer. And it is a better bid at MPs.

Prajwal meant the 3S as showing half stopper in spades, or so he wanted to. (Qxx is a full stopper) I bid 4C showing my Ace of clubs. The 4D was confusing. We generally do not cue bid in the trump suit. Probably he was afraid to show singleton Ace of hearts. I have read somewhere that if the single ton is hearts do not show it, bid 4NT - this I do not understand. I took the 4D as showing poor values, and made a sign off looking bid of 5D. I never showed my extra heart, so I could have bid 4H over his 4D, if it understood as showing King of hearts or extra length, it should be good news. I wish we can bid these hands without trouble in the upcoming J.Nationals.

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You hold

Q x
Q T x x
A x
A K Q 9 8

The auction is uncontested. Partner begins with 1D. You are playing 2/1, so you bid 2C, making life simple for partner. If 1H is bid, then over either a 1S or a 1NT rebid, there is a slight problem in showing your club suit. The requirement on suit quality should be agreed on.
Partner rebids his diamond suit cheaply. In 2/1 this bid is mandatory if the opener has 5 or more diamonds. You bid as planned, 2H. The entire auction is as follows.

1D - 2C
2D - 2H
2NT - 3C
3D - 4NT
5S - 6D
6NT - End

I held. Lead was spade Jack.

Q x
Q T x x
A x
A K Q 9 8

K x
A x
K Q x x x x
T x x

Let us count our tricks. 1+1+3+3=8; if diamonds break we get 3 more tricks. Still one trick short. Will we need the clubs to break as well? If they were 4-1, then 6D will make but not 6NT.
At IMPs, I would have left it there, but playing MPs I gambled for the NT contract.
I played low from dummy and RHO played low too, me winning with King. I quickly played low diamond to Ace, and a diamond back to hand. All followed. :-) quickly played off my diamonds discarding hearts and spades from dummy. There is one 4-1 break in clubs I can handle, if the 4 carder is with my LHO. So I preserve my heart ace and test the clubs, Alas, RHO has Jxxx in clubs! I cashed all the top clubs and played the lone heart queen from dummy and went up with my Ace and RHO drops the King! My last two cards were a small heart and a small spade. I did not watch the discards carefully. Playing a spade is a losing play, so I played the heart 6. Bingo, it won, we were lucky!

Any comments on the bidding? - till 6D :D
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A
AJTxx
AQJTx
Kx

RHO opens 2S (weak), what is your call? 3S? What your agreements on these bids?

LHO raises it to 4S, partner passes. what now?

I bid 5D, which was doubled and went down 2. Looked like 4S was going down on any lead. One trick in each suit. I bid my way to a bottom. Anyways, partner had

Q x x
9 x x x
9 8 x
Q J x

A
AJTxx
AQJTx
Kx

I lost one club, one trump and two hearts. The hearts were 3-1, with LHO (one who raised spades) KQx. If the hearts were 2-2, it would have been better. Coming back to bidding, In Prajwal's position, would correct 5D to 5H - fair?



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x
8 7 3
K 8 4 3
A K Q x x

(Prajwal-dummy)

A x x x x
Q J T x x
Q T 9
-void- :)

(Guthi)



Bidding went -

1C - 1S;
2C - 2H;
2NT - 3H;
4H -end.

It is always a problem with such hands when opener rebids his minor. What is would it mean if I bid 3H instead of 2H? A 5-5 with non GF values? It did not come to my mind at the table.

Play: Lead was a small diamond, taken by RHO with Ace, and returneda low diamond. I did not pay much attention to the spots played by LHO, so won with Queen in hand, cashed spade ace, ruffed on, played on top clubs discarding spades from hand. At this position, I led low heart from dummy to my Queen, taken by LHO with King. He thinks for a while and plays Ace of hearts and exits in a CLUB! Cupper, I claimed all. RHO began shouting, for his partner did not return a diamond for a ruff. I did follow the spots, he had echoed, playing high-low, asking for a ruff.

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J 9 x
A T x x
A Q J 8
A x
(Guthi)

A K 6 x x
x
T 9 x
K J x x

(Prajwal)

Bidding went -

1S - 2D; 3C - 3S; 4H - 4NT; 5H - 6S.

Lead Heart King. Prajwal thinks for a short while and plays Heart Ace, followed by two quick rounds of top spades. The Queen did not drop. Playing for the Diamond finesse is the only hope, which worked. Twelve tricks and slam made. :)


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A J x x
-void-
A K Q x x x
A x

K x x x
?
?
?

-under development-

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Q 9 x x
A
A K Q x x
K x x

J T x
K J x x
T 8 x x x
x


-under development-

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Cheers
Zzzz...
Guthi