Daily Bridge Club

Back to Birmingham

Every month I go to Birmingham for dinner and a fun bridge game with old friends and teammates. I always find deals worth writing about.

In today’s deal, North’s double of two clubs was “support,” showing three cards in spades. A raise to two spades would have shown four-card support. (A pass would have denied three spades.) South went to two spades, passed out.

West led a diamond, and declarer won in dummy and tried a trump to his king, ducked. West won the next trump with the ace and shifted to the king of hearts, winning, and a second heart.

TRUMP TRICK

South took dummy’s ace and led a club to his nine. West won with the queen, and with the club spots in his favor, he got two more clubs and another trump. Down one. Two clubs doubled, had South been inspired to pass, would have failed also.

I am no fan of “support doubles.” They don’t describe the doubler’s hand accurately and make it harder to penalize an indiscreet overcall. But such is “progress” in modern bidding.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: 764 AJ53 AKQ 4 10 3. You open one diamond, and your partner bids one spade. The opponents pass. What do you say?

ANSWER: This problem is stressful. You cannot bid two hearts, which would be a strength-showing “reverse.” A raise to two spades would be fine with K 10 4, A J 5 3, A Q 4 2, 10 3, but not with the actual spade support. A 1NT bid with 10-3 in clubs is unappealing. I would accept either 1NT or two spades, not liking either call. North dealer N-S vulnerable