ACES ON BRIDGE

Whether to balance into your opponents’ auction is often a simple decision, and players become used to evaluating their hands well enough that they tend to know when it is right to bid and when to pass.

Occasionally more complex is how the partner of the balancer should react when the auction continues after the opponents compete again. The question may be just how many of your own values have been bid by your partner already! It is often the case that he has bid every single one of them — and sometimes even more.

In today’s deal, North was faced with just such a decision. He was swayed into competing again because it sounded like both sides had a double fit, and the vulnerability meant he might be able to afford to be off a trick in his calculations and still not be severely punished.

He was absolutely right, with both sides having play for their three-level contracts. In three spades, South ruffed the third diamond and led a heart to the nine and queen, then won the trump return to eliminate the trumps and hearts. At this point, he knew West to have started with a 2= 5=4=2 pattern, and to have 10 points in the red suits. So, he needed a club honor to justify his opening bid, which in turn meant declarer could guarantee his contract by playing the ace and another club. West did his best by unblocking his club king, but the defenders could score only one club trick, no matter what.

ANSWER: Your partner’s double is takeout, suggesting opening values or so. It seems obvious to bid three diamonds, since you prefer that suit over hearts, but your partner might easily be three-suited with more clubs than diamonds. It would therefore be more prudent to bid two notrump as takeout for the minors.