BRIDGE MASTERCLASS

You open 1 ♣ , West overcalls 1 ♥ , and your partner responds 1 ♠ . What action do you take when East raises to 4 ♥ ? YOU’LL note that I’ve chosen to open 1 ♣ here, but sadly I fear that most beginners, who are taught by ‘duplicate’ teachers, will be advised to open 1NT because the philosophy is that any balanced hand with 12-14 HCPs should be opened this way.

This hand is just worth an opening bid, only because you have a sensible rebid over any response from partner. To advocate that a hand, with all its points and eight of its cards in two suits, should be described by 1NT is absurd — but that’s another topic!

The important point about this situation is that you must pass East’s jump to 4 ♥ . I’m sure you’d do this anyway, but there are a few who don’t like being fixed and might feel the urge to show their support for partner’s suit — without considering just how many losers there are.

Never fear, partner will bid again, probably with a double; then you need to decide whether to pass this for penalties or bid 4 ♠ .

The latter is certainly the lesser risk, because you’re unlikely to get doubled, and the opposition might push on to 5 ♥ .