Contract Bridge

You are South, and the bidding has gone: East South West North 1 ♦ Dble 1 ♠ Pass Pass ?

What would you do now with each of the following four hands?

1. ♠ A7 ♥ KQ98 ♦ K3 ♣ AK654

2. ♠ KJ73 ♥ AQ5 ♦ 109 ♣ A1062

3. ♠ K82 ♥ AK7 ♦ 6 ♣ AKQ1043

4. ♠ AQ3 ♥ K92 ♦ AJ8 ♣ KQJ5 ** *

1. Double. This is still a takeout double, just as the previous double was. It asks partner to bid one of the two unbid suits. At the same time, the second double implies that you have values beyond those originally expressed.

A two-club bid would be wrong on two counts. First, it would not represent quite as strong a hand as the one you have. Secondly, it might also result in playing the hand in the wrong suit. Partner should be offered the chance to choose which of the two unbid suits he prefers. The one he selects will almost surely be the better trump suit for the combined hands.

2. Pass. You’ve already told your story, and there’s nothing more to add. Partner had a chance to respond, but turned it down. As you have no extra values, you should pass.

Besides, the opponents are playing in your best suit and might go down, so why disturb them?

3. Three clubs. Your jumpbid, combined with your double, indicates a very powerful hand. In effect, you’re saying that your hand was much too good for a simple two-club overcall on the first round, and it is even too strong for just a two-club bid at this stage.

Three clubs invites partner to bid three notrump with a diamond stopper. If partner has as little as, say, ♠ Qx

♥ xxxx ♦ QJxx ♣ xxx, three notrump is virtually assured, and he should bid it since you have promised a hand containing eight or nine sure tricks.

4. One notrump. Although this may appear to be a sizable underbid (you have 20 points), the realities of the situation indicate that partner has a miserable hand. There isn’t much left for him to have when you hold half the deck in high cards and both opponents have already bid.

This time, as contrasted with the distribution and high cards you held in the first problem, you’re lacking the requisite trump support that a second double would imply. The suggested notrump bid does not stop partner from making a suit bid if his hand warrants it.