ACES ON BRIDGE
Most U.S. experts play twoover-one as game forcing. But in competitive auctions, two-over-one at the twolevel should not be forcing to game. It should show values, but does not guarantee a rebid — anything that sounds non-forcing thereafter should be non-forcing. Thus in today’s auction, North’s raise to three hearts could be passed. South can bid three no-trump over three hearts, though it isn’t clear which game is best — it depends on who has the diamond ace. Against four hearts, West leads a top spade, and South has to guess whether to win or duck. He does well to hold up, cutting the defenders’ communications. If West continues spades, declarer wins and leads a diamond to dummy’s king for 10 relatively easy tricks. But West can do better by shifting to a club at trick two, attacking declarer’s late entry for the diamonds. Declarer wins in hand and leads a diamond to the king, ducked by East. Now declarer draws two rounds of trumps with the king and ace and leads a diamond to the 10 and jack. Back comes a second club, and declarer must win in dummy and lead a third diamond, subsequently using dummy’s last trump as the entry for the diamonds. If East plays back a spade (not a club) after winning the diamond jack, declarer takes this in hand and must draw the last trump — if he plays the third diamond before doing so, West ruffs his partner’s winner to cash a spade for down one.
ANSWER: Your partner’s double is value-showing, maybe a minimum of an eight-count? He typically has a doubleton heart and suggests length in the other suits. I would pass and lead a trump. Where are the opponents going to score tricks except in the trump suit?