Bridge Play

When today’s North opened one club, East’s jump to 2NT was

“Unusual.” The capitalization is correct: The

“Unusual Notrump” is a conventional device.

East’s bid showed length in the two lower unbid suits, typically with a hand with playing strength but limited defense — a hand suitable for a sacrifice if

North-South bid game.

When North-South got to four spades, East might have bid 4NT — even more “Unusual”

— to oblige West to pick one of the red suits at the five level. Perhaps East rejected that bid because of the adverse vulnerability, but East-West might have been down only one at five diamonds.

A careless South, or a South who hadn’t listened to the bidding, might have gone down at four spades. West led the king of clubs, and if South had put up dummy’s ace, East would ruff. If he shifted to a high heart or to the king of diamonds, South would lose a heart and two clubs.

But East’s vulnerable bid had made declarer wary. He played safe by ducking the king of clubs. When East discarded and West continued with the queen and jack, declarer ducked twice more. On the fourth club, he played low from dummy yet again, saving the ace, and ruffed in his hand. He could draw trumps and score his 10th trick with the ace of clubs.

Preemptive actions such as East’s 2NT can gain by locating a good sacrifice or a makeable contract. Moreover, they can obstruct the opponents’ auction. But there is a tradeoff: If the opponents buy the contract, which will usually happen if they have most of the strength, declarer may get help in judging the play.