Daily Bridge Club

Saying it all

Cy the Cynic asserts that two kinds of people don’t have much to say: those who are quiet and those who talk constantly.

Many players embrace an active competitive style: When it’s their turn, they bid. They may disrupt the opponents’ auction but may also impel them to bid with more resolve, then guide their play.

In today’s deal, West’s two-club cue bid showed length in both majors. When East jumped to four hearts, South knew North’s hand was short in hearts, hence North would have useful cards elsewhere. So South bid slam.

LAST SPADE

South took the ace of hearts, drew trumps, cashed the top spades, ruffed a spade, ruffed a heart in dummy and ruffed the last spade. He found that West had held five spades, and presumably five hearts and two trumps, so one diamond. So South next led a low diamond. When West played the ten, dummy played low, and the defender who won was endplayed. Making six.

Players who compete aggressively tend to forget the deals where that style has cost.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: K 8 4 3 6 Q 6 5 2 A 10 9 3. Your partner opens one heart, you respond one spade and he bids two diamonds. What do you say?

ANSWER: This problem illustrates a weak area of “Standard” bidding. Opener’s minimum change of suit may conceal quite a good hand — as many as 18 points — but he could have a minimum hand. As responder, you can’t be sure whether to raise to three diamonds or pass. I would raise here, with misgivings. South dealer Neither side vulnerable