BRIDGE

Since a rebid of 2S by North would have been natural and forcing, his leap to 3S was a splinter bid. It showed good diamond support and a singleton (or void) spade. With something like K-Q-9-3 in spades declarer could then have bid 3NT. Holding four spades to the ace opposite the likely singleton, he turned his mind to higher things. He discovered two aces with Roman Key-card Blackwood and then bid 6D.

West had been listening to the bidding and made the effective lead of a trump, aiming to cut down spade ruffs. How would you play 6D?

Declarer saw that he would need to set up and enjoy dummy’s clubs. He won the trump lead in his hand, crossed to the ace of clubs and ruffed a club. He then led the king of hearts from his hand, posing a dilemma for East. If he won the trick, the heart queen would be set up as an extra entry to dummy, allowing declarer to ruff the clubs good and reach them. When East chose instead to hold up the heart ace, declarer turned to Plan B.

He crossed to dummy with a trump and ran the jack of clubs, throwing his remaining heart. A spade ruff would later give access to dummy’s clubs.

BIDDING QUIZ

What will you say now?

You are easily worth going to game in hearts (even just K-x-x-x in the trump suit, opposite, will be enough for game.) Does that mean you should rebid 4H? No, it is better to make the more descriptive rebid of 4C. This is a splinter bid, saying: “I am worth bidding 4H and I hold at most one card in clubs.” When partner is interested in a slam, this will help him to assess how well the two hands fit together. Awards: 4C (splinter bid) – 10, 4H – 8, 3H – 4, 4NT – 2.