Contract Bridge

Bidding quiz

Your partner opens Two Notrump (20-21 points, balanced distribution). What would you respond with each of the following five hands? 1. Pass. Since partner has 20 or 21 points, it could be argued that your combined holding might be 26 points, so you should raise two notrump to three.

But another factor must also be considered — namely, that partner will have trouble reaching dummy for any finesses he may need to take. This lack of communication is likely to prove fatal even if partner has 21 points. While it is true that 26 points usually produce a good play for game, this is frequently not the case when one player holds practically all of his side’s points.

2. Six notrump. This is strictly a matter of arithmetic. Partner’s 20 or 21 points added to your 13 bring your combined total to 33 or 34 points, which is what you ordinarily need for a small slam. You should therefore bid six without further ado.

3. Four hearts. While you have only five points in high cards, your six-card suit is worth several points more in terms of playing strength. You can probably win five or six tricks with hearts as trump, and your prospects should be appraised in that light. The four-heart bid should be treated by partner as a shutout. If you play Jacoby Transfers, you would bid three diamonds and raise partner’s forced three-heart response to four.

4. Four notrump. This is not Blackwood; rather, it is a raise in notrump inviting partner to bid slam with a maximum, and to pass with a minimum. Holding 12 points, a 4-3-3-3 distribution and no helpful nines or tens, and not knowing whether your combined total comes to 32 or 33 points, partner should be asked to make the final decision.

5. Three clubs. You certainly have enough points for game, but before committing your side to playing in three notrump, you should check via Stayman whether partner has four spades.

If he does, four spades will prove to be the better game contract in the majority of cases.