BRIDGE MASTERCLASS

THIS is one of the same West hands that I featured on Monday to illustrate responses to Fourth Suit Forcing bids.

Now, we add a typical east hand on which you might use FSF. With so many controls and such good club support, the hand is too good merely to make a direct raise in clubs.

Even without ♦ A, you wouldn’t want to suggest a club contract before you’ve found out more about West’s hand. Maybe nine tricks in No Trumps will be easier than 11 in clubs, so you temporise with 2 ♦ .

West will next bid 3 ♣ and you then know that he is at least 5-5. When you raise to 4 ♣ , West should understand this is strong and forcing — it could be the start of a slam investigation.

The general point to stress about Fourth Suit Forcing is that it should be used to show strong hands. The FSF bidder takes control of the auction and any bid beyond 2NT should be treated as game forcing.