Bridge

Author Holly Lisle wrote, “If you don’t accept responsibility for your own actions, then you are forever chained to a position of defense.”

Partner opens one no-trump, and the next player overcalls two clubs, Cappelletti, showing a one-suiter somewhere. If responder passes, he will probably end on defense. But if he has some useful cards, he must take responsibility and get into the auction. The agreement is to treat double as Stayman and every other bid as per the partnership’s methods over one no-trump.

In this deal, after North doubles, East advances with two diamonds. South passes to deny a four-card major. West rebids two hearts. What should North do? Most pairs treat double as for penalty. Instead, North cue-bids three hearts, which promises game-going values and asks South to bid three no-trump with a heart stopper.

West leads the heart king against three no-trump. Declarer has eight top tricks: three spades, one heart, three diamonds and one club. The ninth trick must come from spades because there isn’t time to establish the clubs. The normal percentage play is to cash the three honors. This is accurate here since West might have overcalled two diamonds with four spades and five-plus hearts. When the jack drops, the contract is home.