Sacrifice contracts by Matthias Huberschwiller

In this edition's quizzes we will talk about sacrifice bidding.

What is this?

A sacrifice is when, rather than defending against your opponents' contract (usually game), you bid your own suit over it, not to try and make your contract, but you are hoping that the penalty for going down in your contract will be cheaper than the score they would have got for making their contract.

Of course your opponents will double your contract, if they know they have more HCPs than your side does.

Let's find out when to do this.

Question 1

Your Hand
♠
♥
♦
♣

Q: 1 - You are North-South. You are non-vulnerable (white), and they are vulnerable (red).

What is the maximum tricks you can go down by for a sacrifice contract to be worth it, when they double you?

A: I can go 3 down - The favorable vulnerabilty allows you to make three tricks less than you contract for.

The cost of going down non-vulnerable (doubled, of course):
-1 is -100
-2 is -300
-3 is -500
-4 is -800

The cost of going down vulnerable:
-1 is -200
-2 is -500
-3 is -800
-4 is -1100

Their game gets them 420 (in 4M) when white, and 620 when red, giving you this table:

Red vs white, you can go 1 down.
Red vs red, you can go 2 down.
White vs white, you can go 2 down.
White vs red, you can go 3 down.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 2

Your Hand
♠ 2
♥ Q 9 6 5 2
♦ 7 6 2
♣ K 10 9 8

Q: 2 - What do you bid as South?

South	West	North	East
-	1 NT	2♥	4♠
?

A: 5♥ - Everything is encouraging you to bid.

Of course, you wont make 5♥ (except on Christmas Eve), and they will double you. But with no defensive tricks, you are nearly certain that they will make 4♠, and you are allowed to go 3 down for it to be worth it.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 3

Your Hand
♠ 2
♥ Q 9 6 2
♦ 9 6 3 2
♣ K 9 8 7

Q: 3 - What do you bid as South?

South	West	North	East
-	1 NT	2♥	4♠
?

A: Pass - This time you must be careful. You have a trump less than on the previous deal, and you're at the worst possible vulnerability. Red vs white allows you to go only one down at the 5-level for the sacrifice to be worth it. It's too dangerous.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 4

Your Hand
♠ 7
♥ Q 9 6 5 2
♦ 9 6 3
♣ K 10 8 7

Q: 4 - What do you bid as South?

South	West	North	East
-	1 NT	2♥	4♠
5♥	5♠	Pass	Pass
?

A: Pass - You have made a good bid of 5♥, it pushed them to the 5-level. You have done your job.
Maybe a 6-level sacrifice could be a good one, but you have no idea if that's the case here. Let's defend 5♠, they need to make a trick more than they initially wanted to.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Question 5

Your Hand
♠ K 6 4 2
♥ 4 2
♦ 8 7 6 2
♣ K 6 3

Q: 5 - What do you bid as South?

South	West	North	East
-	1♥	5♣	6♥
?

A: 7♣ - Really? Am I crazy?

Let's think about it. Will they make 6♥?

Your partner has a weak hand with lots and lots of Clubs (at least 8, maybe 9). One of them has a Club void. Your only hope of a trick is the King of Spades, so they will make 6♥.

Even with only 8 club tricks, you would go 5 down, which makes 1100 points for them, compared to the 1430 they'd get for 6♥. It's definitely a good save.

Your result so far:

Open Question

Overall Results

Your results: out of Average:

What next? You may enjoy playing our prepared hands series.
More informations on our website: www.VuBridge.com

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