Financial Mail and Business Day

BRIDGE

Steve Becker

You are South 12 Pass 1S Pass ? What would you bid now with each of the following four hands?

1.

2.

3. 1 -

4. 1 93 The choice lies between bidding two diamonds or two notrump. Having opened with minimum values, which have not grown at all with partner bidding suits you don't fit well, you sh2ould try to slow partner down a

South, and the bidding has gone:

West SA853 SAKQ4 SKQ95 SAQ86 1. Two diamonds. 1 74 1J North

East 11 Pass 2C Pass 2AKJ102 C 82

2AQ9753 C Q6

2AK942 C KQ83

2KQ1093 C AQ little, since up to this point he has no idea how strong or weak a hand you have.

2. Three diamonds. Partner has made two forcing bids, so you must assume there is an excellent chance for game, and possibly even a slam. To inform partner of the unbalanced nature of your hand and at the same time let him know that you have more than a minimum opening bid, you jump to three diamonds. This should make it easier for partner to choose the best final contract.

3. Five clubs. This dramatic leap to game constitutes a very strong slam try. It guarantees powerful support for clubs and, in conjunction with your two prior bids, identifies a void in hearts, or at most a singleton. Partner doesn't need much to produce a good play for slam. Indeed, a grand slam would not need much more than the spade and club aces in partner's hand.

It would be wrong to jump-raise to only four clubs. That's what you'd do if the king of clubs were the jack. Partner should credit you with a hand that looks just about like this one.

4. Three notrump.

Having made two ambivalent bids so far, you now come out of your shell to let partner know that you have a relatively balanced distribution and values well above those of a minimum opening bid. This tells the story of your hand about as well as it can be told.

Once you make this bid, the rest is up to partner. Ordinarily, he'll have no problem deciding what to do next. He may pass, elect to play the hand in a suit contract or possibly proceed toward a slam. In any case, he's the captain of the ship the rest of the way.

(c)2020 King Features Syndicate Inc.

THE BOTTOM LINE

en-za

2021-08-02T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-08-02T07:00:00.0000000Z

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