BRIDGE 7-26

Winston Churchill said, “True genius resides in the capacity for evaluation of uncertain, hazardous and conflicting information.”

Hand evaluation can be a tough subject with uncertain, hazardous and conflicting information -- especially if you do not trust the bidding of the other three players at your table. However, there is a reliable guideline: Misfits are miserable; fits are fantastic; double fits are triply delicious.

In today’s deal, look at the North hand. You open one diamond, partner responds one spade, and West overcalls two clubs. What would you rebid?

In a tournament, most Norths raised only to two spades, a definite underbid. If you add short-suit points, North gets one for each doubleton -- his hand is worth 16 support points, easily enough for a jump to three spades.

However, even after two spades, and three clubs from East, South should have been encouraged by the double fit in the pointed suits. He should have rebid three diamonds. (Yes, if North’s rebid guaranteed four-card spade support, South might have jumped to four spades. But three diamonds would have told North about the double fit, an advantage should EastWest bid to five clubs.) In the duplicate, though, 10 Souths passed over three clubs. Then, when North competed with three spades, they all passed again -bad evaluation.

North-South can take an easy 11 tricks in spades or diamonds, losing two hearts. However, when one side has a double fit, so does the other. Five clubs is down only two, which is a good sacrifice over four spades.