BRIDGE MASTERCLASS

PLAying Pairs, at Love All your RHO deals and opens 1 ♦ . What action would you take, and would it make any difference if you were in fourth seat, and the opening 1 ♦ were followed by two passes? In The immediate overcalling position, you have the shape but not the values to make a bid of any sort — you can’t even make a take-out double.

It is very different if you are in fourth seat, after two passes — that is, in the ‘protective’ position. You now know that opener’s partner was not strong enough to bid at all, and that your own partner is pretty certain to have some values.

Because of your shortage in the suit, it might well be that partner has a long diamond suit, and was unable to double, as this would have been asking you to bid your own suit.

So now you might double, and if partner leaves it in for penalties, declarer is not likely to have many entries to dummy to help him lead through your tenaces. On the other hand, opener may have a very strong hand, with no problem in taking seven tricks, so you might use inspired judgment and let ‘sleeping dogs lie’.