A change of pace

Isabelle and I are taking a deserved rest after so much practising so I am having fun with the idea of playing a forcing club system with my son Colin for a while.   Neither of us have played this type of system before although it has long been my belief that it is superior,  I like the idea of limiting our opening one bids.  What do you think?

Anyway I thought I might start with Precision.  I don’t know if Colin will agree to that.  It just seemed a simple way to get going.  I have a copy of the Cohen-Berkowitz book, which looks like a nice starting point.  Besides I am an admirer of them.  I would like to try it and then maybe branch out.  Does anyone have any suggestions about good systems.  I am definitely going to read Roy Hughes’ book on bidding systems for some insights too.  I like the idea of including a relay system over forcing club but I think I want to crawl before I run.

I enjoyed watching the latter half of the US trials.  Here is a little spotlight on defence in the final.  You have

S10942 H103 DAQJ5 C QJ2

You play upside carding and attitude leads against notrump.  What do you lead?  Well pretty well anything could be right but let’s say you decide to lead an attitude S4.

Dummy has:

S AJ6 H KQJ74 D 96 C 654

Partner wins the SK and switches to the C9 declarer playing the CK.  What do you do?  The obvious answer is that you play the C2 but can that be right?  Declarers tricks are: 2 spades, 2 clubs and at 4 hearts assuming that partner has the HA (if not there is no chance).  Your only chance is a diamond switch.  If partner has the D10 you just might beat this hand.  So I think the right play is the CJ to really try to talk partner out of clubs.

Anyway, at the table Martel played the C2.  Stansby won the HA and continued clubs and 3NT made.  Partner did have the D10432 and the HA so you would have defeated 3NT if partner had found the diamond shift.  At the other table the opening lead was the CQ and while Compton had two chances to find the diamond shift, when winning the HA and later when winning the SK.