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Question: you open 1 ♥, partner responds 1 ♠ , you rebid 2 ♦ (showing your 5 ♥-4 ♦ shape) and partner now bids 2 ♥. How many hearts is partner showing?
If you answered 'Three', then you are wrong. You can hope for three, but what does partner do with these type of hands?
| Hand i) |
Hand ii) |
♠ A 9 8 2
♥ 7 3
♦ 8 2
♣ Q 5 4 3 2 |
♠ A 8 5 2
♥ J 3
♦ J 4 2
♣ J 7 3 2 |
Take (i). Partner has no choice but to put you back to 2 ♥. Passing 2 ♦ and leaving you in a likely 4-2 fit is clearly inferior. And any other bid (eg 2 NT, 3 ♣) is pie in the sky, with six measly points.
With Hand (ii), partner could sensibly pass 2 ♦. But there are good reasons for partner to put you back to 2 ♥. (a) a 5-2 fit plays better than a 4-3 fit. (b) partner's bid of 2 ♥ gives you another turn if you have a really good hand (your 2 ♦ rebid did not really limit your hand, as you'd almost never bid 3 ♦).
The bottom line is: if partner puts you back to your first suit, you should (until further notice) treat it as a begrudging preference, rather than actual support.
So after you have opened 1 ♥ and the bidding has proceeded l♥-1 ♠-2 ♦-2 ♥, you should only go on to 3 ♥/4 ♥ with six hearts. Holding a good hand (and you'd need a good hand to proceed, as partner has shown only 6-9 pts), but without the sixth heart, you should find another forward-going bid.
South Deals
None Vul |
| ♠ |
K J 10 2 |
| ♥ |
6 3 |
| ♦ |
6 5 |
| ♣ |
A 6 5 3 2 |
|
| ♠ |
8 6 |
| ♥ |
Q 10 9 5 |
| ♦ |
J 8 2 |
| ♣ |
Q 9 7 4 |
|
|
|
|
| |
| ♠ |
A 9 7 4 3 |
| ♥ |
J 8 |
| ♦ |
K 10 9 4 |
| ♣ |
J 8 |
|
|
| |
| ♠ |
Q 5 |
| ♥ |
A K 7 4 2 |
| ♦ |
A Q 7 3 |
| ♣ |
K 10 |
|
| West |
North |
East |
South |
| |
|
|
1 ♥ |
| Pass |
1 ♠1 |
Pass |
2 ♦2 |
| Pass |
2 ♥3 |
Pass |
2 N4 |
| Pass |
3 N |
All pass |
|
- Not strong enough for 2 ♣
- Not 3 ♦. 3 ♦ is 100% forcing to game, so should be reserved for very stong one-openers (19-20 points)
- North has no other choice, for to bid 2 NT would wildly overstate the strength of his hand (showing around 10-12 points). 2 ♥ shows 6-9 points and, by going back to partner's first suit, is a mere preference bid.
- South must not assume heart support and blithely bid on in hearts. His 2 NT bid shows around 16-18 points and implies a 2 ♠5♥ 4♦ 2♣. or 1 ♠5♥ 4♦ 3♣. shape (with club stopper(s)).
|
Declarer won ♣ 4 lead (to East's ♣ J) with ♣ K. Counting just five top tricks, at trick two he led ♠ Q East ducked, won ♠ 5 to ♠ 10 with ♠ A and led ♣ 8 to ♣ 10, ♣ Q and ♣ A
Up to eight tricks, declarer cashed ♠ KJ then led ♦ 5 to ♦ Q Phew - the finesse succeeded and declarer quickly cashed ♥ AK and ♦ A. Nine tricks.
|