BRIDGE

Answers to weekly quiz
Q. Both vulnerable, you hold:
x 5 3 2 u K J 3 2 v K Q 10 6 w A 9
Partner opens the bidding with one spade. What do you respond?
A. You have an eight-card spade fit and the strength to go to game. However, a power raise to four spades requires four-card trump support, so you must start with two diamonds and then either jump in spades or raise spades next, depending on whether two diamonds started an invitational sequence or was a game force.
Q. Both vulnerable, you hold:
x 10 u K 9 8 5 4 2 v Q J 9 4 3 w 6
Partner opens the auction with an artificial game force of two clubs. What do you respond?
A. Normally, for a positive response you need a five-card or longer suit headed by two of the three top honors. To adopt that here, however, will waste a round of the auction since you will start bidding your suits naturally at the three-level. You will need room to describe this hand. Bid two hearts.
Q. Both vulnerable, as South you hold:
x Q 10 9 u A Q 8 7 6 v A 4 3 w 10 3
The bidding has proceeded:
SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST
1u Pass 1x Pass
?
What do you bid now?
A. Besides the five-card heart suit, the salient feature of this hand is the good three-card support for partner's suit and the ruffing value. Tell partner about this by raising to two spades.
Q. Both vulnerable, you hold:
x K 10 7 u K 4 v K Q 5 4 2 w K 6 3
Your right-hand opponent opens the bidding with one spade. What action do you take?
A. A one-no-trump overcall would show the same strength as a one no trump opener, so that would appear to rule out that action while the poor spots in diamonds make an overcall of two diamonds unpalatable. However, your position behind opener, your four kings and fifth diamond are easily worth a point or two, so we would bid one no trump.
Q. Neither vulnerable, as South you hold:
x A J 4 u 9 6 2 v Q 6 4 w Q 9 8 3
The bidding has proceeded:
NORTH EAST SOUTH WEST
1v Pass 1NT Pass
2u Pass ?
What do you bid now?
A. Partner's reverse bid of two hearts promises a minimum of some 17 points with at least five diamonds and four hearts. With your balanced hand and good stoppers in the unbid suits, jump to three no trump.
Q. Neither vulnerable, you hold:
x A 10 u 10 8 4 3 v K Q 10 w A 9 7 4
Partner opens the bidding with one spade. What do you respond?
A. If you play that a jump to two no trump is natural, showing a balanced hand of 13-15 points, by all means make that bid. If you play it as a forcing raise in partner's major, you must temporize with two clubs and then bid no trump as cheaply as possible at your next turn.