BIDDING QUIZ

Beat today’s

experts

David Bird Bidding problems are on page 29

1. Game All. Dealer West. WE start at the 2011 Australian Trials. Max a heart control would be apparent. This was

Henbest decided to pass at his second turn the other auction:

´ 93 ´ AK62 and Ben Kingham kept the bidding alive

™ QJ76 N ™ 95 West North East South

W E with a re-opening double. What should

t AKJ964 t Q 10 8 Burgess Edgtton Courtney Wilkinson

S West say now? 1t 1´ 2® 2™

® Q ® AK75

A pass would have picked up 800, as it 3t Pass 4NT Pass

West North East South happens, but West was uncertain how valu- 5™ Pass 6t Pass

Henbest Dyke Kingham Gill able his diamonds would be in defence. He Pass Dble

1t Pass 1´ 2™ leapt to 3NT and East raised to 6NT, hoping

Pass Pass Dble Pass A truly awful mis-use of Blackwood! Again,

3NT Pass 6NT

that partner would hold the ace or king of

hearts. North had no heart to lead but East should have bid 4t.

declarer had only eleven tricks and ended

one down. East should have initiated a cue- n Awards: 5NT/4NT/3NT or 2™ doubled

bidding sequence by bidding 4t over 3NT. (10), 5t (8), slams (2).

When West failed to cue-bid 4™, the lack of

2. N/S Game. Dealer East. Our next deal is from a semi-final of the and drew two rounds of trumps with the ace

Norwegian Club Championship. Jørgen and ten. He played the ace of hearts, the A-K

´ A ´ K8532

Molberg opened 2NT and Boerre Lund of diamonds and the spade king, throwing a

™ J54 N ™ AQ responded 4™. This was a ‘two-under trans- diamond. He then reached his hand with a

W E

t 8642 S t A K 10 fer’ showing a good club suit and suggesting high spade ruff and discarded dummy’s last

® KQJ82 ® A 10 9 a slam. (4® would have shown hearts, 4t diamond on the heart jack. A diamond ruff

spades and 4´ diamonds.) East indicated a was his twelfth trick. Well bid and well

West East good hand for clubs with his spade cue-bid played!

Lund Molberg

2NT

and Lund leapt to 6®, an excellent contract.

4™ 4´ A heart was led and the queen lost to n Awards: 6® (10), games (6), 6NT (3).

6® South’s king. Lund won the spade return

3. Game All. Dealer West. Next we visit the Lady Milne Trophy, with ment partner’s second suit. The ™A is a

England facing Scotland. England’s Bryony splendid card and the singleton diamond

´ A763 ´ KQ9 Youngs could not be sure that her partner might prove useful too.

™ Q N ™ A 10 9 8 7 3 held five clubs, so her rebid of 2™ looks eas- East is full value for a raise to 5®. Having

W E

t 42 t 6

S ily best. Bridge Base Online was already limited her hand with the 2™ rebid, she might

® AKJ972 ® 864

showing ‘5®= 600’ for the Scotland E/W instead make a splinter-bid raise with 4t.

West East pair at the other table, so England support- Opposite the actual raise to 4®, Kaye

Kaye Youngs ers were worried in case Alice Kaye should might well have passed. She had no vision of

1® 1™ pass 2™. No, she chose to bid 3®. What the filling spade honours, nor of the dia-

1´ 2™

should East say now? mond singleton. In fact she did well to raise

3® 4®

5® Since both 2™ and 3® were non-forcing, to 5® and the par contract was reached.

this is one of the rare situations where a

raise to 4® is non-forcing. On that basis it n Awards: 5® (10), 4™ (8), part-scores (5),

seems to be a considerable underbid. East 6® (3).

can see that her spade honours will supple-

36 English Bridge October 2011 www.ebu.co.uk