BRIDGE

BRIDGE

Weekly Quiz Answers

Q. Vulnerable, as South, you hold:

xVoid uQ 10 6 5 vK J 9 6 3 wJ 8 5 4

Partner opens the bidding with one spade. What do you respond?

A. This is the type of hand that aged players of yesteryear — you have too much to pass but not enough to bid a new suit at the two-level. By a process of elimination it means you have to respond with one no trump despite your void in partner’s suit.

Q. Neither vulnerable, as South, you hold:

xQ J 9 u9 6 v9 7 wK 9 7 5 4 2

Partner opens the bidding with one club. What do you respond?

A. If you use modern methods, you could make a pre-emptive jump to three clubs — two clubs shows a stronger hand; both deny a four-card major. If not, you can’t do more than raise to two clubs, which makes it easier for the opponents to enter the auction.

Q. As South, vulnerable, you hold:

xA K 10 8 6 2 uQ J 10 vQ 6 4 wK

The bidding has proceeded:

SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST

1x Pass 1NT Pass

?

What do you bid now?

A. Despite your 15 points, this hand looks more like a weak two- bid than a one-bid. Rebid two spades.

Q. Neither vulnerable, as South, you hold:

xA 9 6 uVoid vK 10 7 6 5 2 wA 10 5 4

Partner opens bidding with one spade. What do you respond?

A. Certainly you have the values for a game force, but lack of a fourth spade is a drawback — the hand might well make slam if you don’t run out of trumps ruffing partner’s losers. Start with two diamonds — partner’s rebid might be illuminating.

Q. As South, vulnerable, you hold:

xA J 8 4 u7 4 vA K J 7 wA Q 9

The bidding has proceeded:

SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST

1v Pass 1x Pass

?

What do you bid now?

A. If you elected to bid only three spades, you must brush up on your bidding theory. That is invitational only, and with a hand worth some 20-21 points in support of spades, you want to be in game even if partner has a dead minimum response. Jump to four spades.

Q. Neither vulnerable, as South, you hold:

xK 8 6 5 4 u7 2 v8 wA K 10 6 5

What is your opening bid?

A. There are those who “always” open a hand containing a five-card major with one of that suit. But look what happens should you open one spade and partner responds two of a red suit. You can’t make a high reverse of three clubs — your hand isn’t strong enough — so you have to rebid two spades with that ragged holding. Better to treat a shoddy five-card suit as being only four cards long and open one club.

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