| What is 'What went wrong'? |
| In 'What went wrong' something goes wrong in the bidding. Decide for yourself who made the mistake, east or west. Then click the solution button. This page always shows the most recent articles. To find the level of puzzles that suits you best: choose a number of stars in the bar above. |
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EW fail to end up in the best fit — to put it mildly... | N/EW | | | | | ♠ | K Q J 10 6 5
|  | ♠ | A 8 3
| | ♥ | 2
| ♥ | J 10 9 8
| | ♦ | 8 7 6
| ♦ | A 3 2
| | ♣ | Q 8 4
| ♣ | K J 9
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| West | North | East | South |
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| 2♦1 | pass | 4♥ | pass | | pass | pass | | |
1 Multicoloured; usually weak two in a major East didn't make 4♥. The trump suit in particular gave him some problems...
West: 'I thought that you wanted to play 4♥.'
East: 'I wanted to offer you a choice between 4♥ and 4♠.'
Who erred? |
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Solution
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Is the 1NT rebid weak or strong? * |
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EW end up in 1NT while 3NT would have been a very good contract. | ♠ | A 9 6 5 | | ♠ | K Q 3 | | ♥ | 8 6 5 | ♥ | A J 7 | | ♦ | 9 7 | ♦ | K Q 10 8 | | ♣ | Q 10 7 5 | ♣ | A 9 8 |
| West | North | East | South |
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| — | 1♦ | double | pass | | 1♠ | pass | 1NT | pass | | pass | pass | | |
'I thought you showed 13-14 HCP', West says.
'I wouldn't double with so little points if I have an unsuitable distribution for it. After all, my second bid shows that I have some length in diamonds', East says.
'Not necessarily, since you could have something like ♦Ax, a guard and still a short diamond suit', West says. Who is wrong and who is right? |
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Solution
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'But you invited for game, didn't you?' ** |
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EW end up too high. | W/NS | | | | | ♠ | A 10 7 6 3 | | ♠ | K 8 5 | | ♥ | K 6 5 | ♥ | Q J 8 4 | | ♦ | K Q 7 2 | ♦ | J 9 3 | | ♣ | 3 | ♣ | Q 10 2 |
| West | North | East | South |
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| 1♠ | 2♣ | 2♠ | 3♣ | | 3♠ | pass | 4♠ | pass | | pass | pass | | |
4♠ is defeated by one trick.
'I preferred playing 3♠ rather than defending, that's why I bid 3♠', says West.
'I though you invited for game', says East, 'and I have a maximum hand, so...' Who erred? |
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Solution
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Opener rebids his suit: five- or six-card suit?* |
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EW end up in the wrong game. | ♠ | A 5 | | ♠ | K Q J 9 | | ♥ | K Q J 8 6 | ♥ | A 3 | | ♦ | 10 3 2 | ♦ | Q J 7 4 | | ♣ | Q J 4 | ♣ | 10 9 7 |
| West | North | East | South |
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| 1♥ | pass | 1♠ | pass | | 2♥ | pass | 4♥ | pass | | pass | pass | pass | |
West is defeated by one trick in 4♥: NS make the ♣AK and the ♦AK (West is lucky to escape a diamond ruff...).
3NT is on ice. East: 'I thought you showed six hearts.'
West: 'Surely not, I'm showing at least five. You need at least three-card support to raise.' Who erred in the bidding? |
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Solution
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Was West's raise a mistake? ** |
| W/All | | | | | ♠ | Q J 10 8
| | ♠ | 7 2
| | ♥ | A J
| ♥ | K Q 7 3 2
| | ♦ | A J 7
| ♦ | 4
| | ♣ | A 8 7 3
| ♣ | K Q 9 6 2
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| West | North | East | South |
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| 1NT | pass | 2♦ | pass | | 2♥ | pass | 3♣ | pass | | 4♣ | pass | 5♣ | pass | | pass | pass | | |
Playing matchpoint pairs EW end up in the wrong game. East makes 11 tricks in his 5♣ contract (NS start off cashing the ♠AK) but +600 gives EW a bottom. Virtually all other EW-pairs bid 3NT and effortlessly they make 11 tricks as well, scoring +660. Even if NS had not started cashing the ♠AK against 5♣ — East would have made 12 tricks then, scoring +620 — EW would have had a bottom. East: 'Why didn't you bid 3NT over 3♣? After all, you have guards in diamonds and spades.'
West: 'I thought you were interested in a club slam, that's why I raised your suit.'
Who was wrong? |
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Solution
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Failed to find the fit ** |
| ♠ | J 7 5 | | ♠ | 8 2 | | ♥ | A Q J 6 5 | ♥ | K 3 2 | | ♦ | Q 5 | ♦ | A K 10 8 4 | | ♣ | K 8 3
| ♣ | Q J 2 |
| West | North | East | South |
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| 1♥1 | pass | 2♦ | pass | | 2NT | pass | 3NT | pass | | pass | pass | | |
1 Four-card heart suit possible 3NT is not the best game, to state it politely: NS cash four spades (fortunately the suit was 4-4...) and the ♣A. 4♥ would have been a piece of cake.
East: 'Why didn't you rebid your five-card heart suit?'
West: 'By bidding 2NT I wanted to show a minimum, balanced hand.'
Who is to blame? |
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Solution
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