BRIDGE

BRIDGE

Weekly Quiz Answers

Q. Both vulnerable, as South, you hold:

xJ 8 5 uA K Q vK Q J 8 7 w6 3

The bidding has proceeded:

SOUTH WEST NORTH EAST

1v Pass 2w Pass

?

What do you bid now?

A. If you play that a two-over-one response is game forcing, by all means bid just two diamonds. However, if that can be passed, your best shot is to rebid two hearts and hope that the auction does not get out of control. This is not necessarily a reverse on this sequence, but it is forcing.

Q. As South, vulnerable, you hold:

x8 5 2 uJ 7 6 vJ 9 8 3 wQ 7 5

The bidding has proceeded:

NORTH EAST SOUTH WEST

1wDbl Pass 1NT

Dbl Pass ?

What action do you take?

A. Partner has stated that one no trump rates to be defeated, so why should you doubt that? You do not have much, but what you do hold should be of help to partner — especially the queen of clubs! Pass.

Q. As South, vulnerable, you hold:

x8 5 4 uQ J 9 5 vK 6 5 wA 7 2

The bidding has proceeded:

WEST NORTH EAST SOUTH

1x Dbl Pass ?

What do you bid now?

A. Your 4-3-3-3 pattern is not a serious flaw and your queen of hearts should be upgraded. Therefore, we opt for a slightly pushy invitational jump to three hearts over the quieter two hearts.

Q. Neither vulnerable, as South, you hold:

x5 uK 9 2 v8 wK J 10 9 8 4 3 2

What is your opening bid?

A. Some pre-empt is in order. And there is no reason why you should not follow the Rule of Two and Three. Not vulnerable bid within three tricks of what you expect to make with your long suit as trumps. You expect to make six diamond tricks and, possibly a heart, so open four clubs.

Q. Neither vulnerable, as South, you hold:

x8 3 uA Q 8 7 4 vJ 9 8 wK 10 6

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

A. Regardless of whether you play four- or five-card majors, the response should be the same. If you play one no trump forcing, here’s your chance to trot out that weapon. If not, you should prefer one no trump to two hearts. Your hand is a trifle weak for a standard two-over-one response, especially with only a doubleton in partner’s suit.

Q. As South, vulnerable, you hold:

xK J 8 uA Q 10 7 6 2 vQ J 9 w7

The bidding has proceeded:

NORTH EAST SOUTH WEST

1NT Pass 3u Pass

3NT Pass ?

What do you bid now?

A. You need to make a slam suggestion and, strangely enough, a bid of four hearts describes your strength and heart length exactly. With a six-card suit and no slam aspirations, you would simply have bid four hearts initially.

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