FRANK STEWART BRIDGE

BACK TO BIRMINGHAM

Every month I go to Birmingham for dinner and a game with old friends and teammates. We always have interesting deals.

I was today’s North, and my jump to three hearts over West’s double was preemptive. At four hearts, my partner won the trump lead with the queen and carefully did not draw a second trump, which would have let East signal in clubs. Dummy led a spade: deuce, king, ace.

West then led ... a second trump. South took three spades to pitch a club and lost only one club and one diamond. Making four.

Discard

If West interpreted East’s deuce of spades as a “count” signal, he could place South with three spades: hence a discard coming. In that case, to take the ace of clubs at Trick Three couldn’t lose. If South had K 7 3, A K J 10 3, A 8 3, K 4 or K 7 3, A K J 10 3, A 8, K 10 4, the contract was unbeatable.

Maybe West might treat East’s deuce of spades as “suit preference”: a low spade to show interest in the low-ranking suit. That wasn’t clear to me at the time and still isn’t.

Daily Question

You hold: A 10 5 8 5 K 9 6 4 2 ♣A

♠ ♥ ♦

Q J. You open one diamond, your partner responds one heart, you bid 1NT and he jumps to three hearts. What do you say?

Answer: Your partner’s jump-rebid in his own suit is invitational to game, not forcing. If he had enough strength for game plus a good sixcard or longer suit, he could have bid four hearts himself. Since you have 14 good points when you might have had fewer, bid 3NT or four hearts. South dealer Neither side vulnerable