Monday 9-3-2025

You’ve bid my suit!

Todays deal sees a fascinating distribution leading to a variety of contracts.

With only 11 points, the shape of North's hand suggests an opening of 1 club (losing trick count of 6 and 21 on the rule of 20).

East is quite weak but a number of pairs will have some kind of Michaels type bid available to show 5-5 in the red suits.

With weak diamonds E may treat this as a 5-5 two suiter and show their shape with their agreed bid.

Here I play that a cue bid of the opened suit (in this case 2C) show 5-5 in the same colour suits so it has to be 5-5 in hearts and diamonds.

If this happens South will realise that partner has very few dimaonds but the quality of Souths diamonds is such that even

knowing they are splitting badly S still wants to play in the red minor suit.

But how do you get the message across? What would 2, 3 or even 4D mean in this situation?

I can see N getting very confused after any of those bids wondering if they were some kind of cue bids agreeing clubs?

If S wants to play in 5D then the easiest way to get the message across seems to be to bid the game.

This does give up on the possibility of a slam but most pairs found this difficlult to find .

This diamond game was bid five times with one pair bidding a slam either of their own volition or by being pushed there.

W and N have nothing to add to the auction (with both of them looking at an empty space in their hands where the diamonds should be).

W either leads a heart (if partner has show the two suiter) or the safe QS. E can ruff this but shouldn’t do if the Q is ducked in the dummy.

This is probably the best play on the QS lead as if E trumps they are ruffing a losing spade with a natural trump trick.

With careful play in the club suit there sould be only 1 club loser and so 11 tricks is a common result.

The club suit is frozen (everyone has 1 picture card) and so if EW open that suit, S can play it for no losers.

12 tricks made on some tables including the N player in 6C.

I am not sure how S resisted bidding 6D over that but as it happens the clubs are better behaved.

Tip of the week.

In a competitive situation if you know the final contract you want to play in, it is often better to bid it directly.

The analysis is my own opinion and you may well disagree. Always make sure you know your own system before you play.

Mark Rixon