Intended audience: Intermediate and up

 

E-W vul, matchpoints, as south you hold: ♠AQ10765432 ♥- ♦J2 ♣Q4

 

West	North	East	South
-	-	1♦	?

 

What do you bid?

Here is a hand from the Dec 11^th Bridge from the Bridge at the Centre game. There is something about holding such a hand that makes you all warm inside:

 

·        Nine card suit

·        Your suit is spades

·        It is favourable vulnerability

 

So now we want to maximize our chances for a good score. First the range of tricks we can expect at a spade contract is unusually high. If partner has values only in hearts you may make as little as 6 or 7 tricks. However opposite ♠Jxx ♥xxxxx ♦Ax ♣AJ10 you are on a finesse for a grand slam!

 

The way to find out is to overcall 1♠. This will not get passed out and you start to learn something about the other three hands at the table. It goes pass, pass to East who rebids his diamonds.

 

Well we learned that West doesn’t have a negative double, or a good hand. North also has a poorish hand, at least for spades (not a shock). East has – diamonds. Bid 2♠. Game could still easily make, but three may be too high.

 

Not surprisingly, the third round of bidding is a like an old movie – pass, pass, 3♦!

 

Well our strategy is working. West and South have more of the same, as does East. As do you. Bid 3♠. You expect to be able to make this contract. If East continues to bid you will pass and allow partner to voice his opinion. He will have a very good idea what everyone has, and should get the decision right.

 

However, it goes all pass. Here is the full deal and auction:

 

 

	♠ 9 ♥ A K 7 2 ♦ 7 5 ♣ J 10 8 7 6 3
♠ K 8 ♥ 10 9 8 5 3 ♦ 9 8 6  ♣ K 9 5		♠ J ♥ Q J 6 4   ♦ A K Q 10 4 3 ♣ A 2
	♠ A Q 10 7 6 5 4 3 2 ♥ - ♦ J 2 ♣ Q 4

 

West	North	East	South
-	-	1♦	1♠
P	P	2♦	2♠

           P                    P                  3♦                   3♠

     All Pass

 

The defence was accurate and I went down one. I was disappointed but still hoped a good score. Not to be as -50 was under average. Even though E-W can make 3NT they can never it play it there. Plus at most tables they found their heart fit which will make at most ten tricks but often only nine if the declarer gets careless.

 

There were a couple of a bidding errors made:

 

1.West has enough for a negative double over 1♠.

 

2.East has a very good offensive hand, but also one rich in high cards and good for defence. The way to show such a hand is to double at his second turn. Failure to double denies such a hand.

An analogous situation is this auction:

 

West	North	East	South
-	-	-	1♦
P	1NT	Dbl	3♦

South shows a strong defensive hand by redoubling at his second turn. When he doesn’t do it he doesn’t have it! A 3♦ bid on the above auction could be made with something like ♠AJ ♥xxxx ♦AQJ10xxx ♣x

 

 

3.North bid well. He wasn’t invited to the party, and knew that partner had a hand like this, and wasn’t asked for an opinion.

 

 

Season Wishes

 

I hope you continue to find value and learn from the series of articles on bidding that I have been writing on behalf of the Unit for a number of years. I will be back in January for more of the same!

 

I also hope to have my third and final book on Bidding Judgement published in 2015.

 

May you have a safe New Years, and may Canada finally get another gold at the World Junior Hockey Championship.

 

Questions or comments may be sent to me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.