PORT ALFRED BRIDGE CLUB

Port Alfred Pairs Thursday, 7 December 2023 Board 05 Dealer N,

N-S vulnerable. BBO 10251

Assume that you are East and the bidding has started as shown in the table below.

What action do you take?

South has made an opening bid so at this stage assume that he/she has 12 points;

West has overcalled and has shown at least

5 diamonds together with a minimum of about 8 points. North has introduced a major suit and is unlikely to hold less than

8 points, so the deal probably ‘belongs’ to

N – S. You have an excellent fit with partner and are fully entitled to bid 3D, 4D or, as an advance sacrifice, 5D. The last bid is slightly risky as partner might get carried away, so

4D seems to fit the bill of informing partner while at the same time making life difficult for your opponents. Hopefully you would have considered a 2D bid as being inept, because this would allow N – S space to find their best contract. South now has a difficult decision, which he or she solves by bidding 4H. (An alternative bid would be to double, but his might be misconstrued by partner.) Thus even if North has only 4 hearts declarer will be able to ruff the second round of diamonds in dummy, without using a trump from hand.West does not have attractive possibilities for defensive tricks, (only 1 or at the most two tricks), especially if North has the heart ace; so decides to sacrifice in 5D.

2HN +1; 4HN = (3); 4SN -1; 4SN =; 5DW -1. 1st G Dempers & L Kolesky ……66.0%

2nd H Clohessy & M Wesselo….59.4%

1st G Ford & W Jurgensen……..56.8%

2nd J Faulkner & A Ridderhof….56.0%