To BID ONE MORE or Not to Bid One MORE by Andrew Robson from The Times
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(1) Suit too weak to pre-empt.
(2) unassuming cue hid showing ten+ points and three+ hearts.
(3) If In doubt, bid one more. Maybe they are making 4© maybe we are
making 5¨.
"if in doubt. bid one more". The reason for these sage words is ie that while a contract might be defeatable in theory, getting it down in practice is another thing altogether . The words were used to good effect
by Team A on on our deal.
West led the queen of clubs v South's 5¨ and declarer won, cashed the top club discarding the queen of hearts and played ace and a second spade. He could ruff a third spade and force out the ace of trumps. Eleven (ricks — game made.
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(1)”Well I’m not Vulnerable”
(2) Take-out, promising spades. Too high to start bidding diamonds.
(3) If In doubt, bid one more. Maybe
South led his singleton dub v East's 4© to the ten and king.
North switched to the ace of spades and, despite South's throw-low-means-no two, led a second spade. Declarer won,drew trumps and lost a late club. Ten tricks and game made Team A had notched up a game at both tables, a huge swing. It could have all been so different.
Return to Table One. West had heard North hid clubs and his partner bid hearts. Surely the ace of hearts was the indicated opening lead, not the top-of-a-sequence queen of clubs. The ace of hearts lead would lead to down one, with a certain second-round of spades and ace of trumps to come.
Have you spotted the winning defence to East’s 4© at Table Two. After winning South's nine of clubs, North was right to try the ace of spades. After all South could have one more club (he would lead top of two) and the king of spade (leading to a third round ruff). However, when South discourages on the ace of spades. North should revert to clubs. At trick three he cashes the ace e of clubs and at trick four he leads a third club.
This third t round of clubs promotes a trump trick the defence whether declarer ruffs with the seven, the king or not at all (the seven is technically best — his is only legitimate hope being South holding a singleton we just six.
However just because both 4©and 5¨ should go down, does not mean that they will.
andrew.robson@thetimes.co.uk