Bidding innovation in today’s bridge hand

One of Unlucky Louie’s daughters is in college, pursuing a degree in social work, and is taking an elective course in 20th-century literature.

“She mentioned that she had to read a book by this Orwell guy called ‘1984,’” Louie told me. “She said she had no idea things were so bad back then.”

Bidding styles and systems have changed over the past 36 years. Players open lighter and compete more actively. (Whether that benefits them is a matter of opinion.) Conventions have proliferated. Some are theoretically sound, come up often and are easy to remember. A few enter into general use. For example, many partnerships use “splinter bids”: unusual jumps to show shortness plus support for partner’s suit.

In today’s deal, North’s three spades showed a heart fit, a singleton spade and slam interest. South would have been discouraged if his spades had been K-Q-x. As he was, he was willing to try for slam with a cue bid of four clubs, and they landed at six hearts. West led the jack of diamonds.

South took the ace and cashed the A-K of trumps. He appeared to have a club and a trump to lose when East discarded.

South didn’t give up. He led a diamond to dummy and returned a spade to his queen! He took the ace and led the ace and a low club. West couldn’t gain by ruffing a loser; he threw a spade.

South then took the queen of diamonds and exited with a trump, and West was fixed. He had to lead a spade or a diamond, and South ruffed in dummy and discarded his last club.