Contract Bridge

1. Double. This is likely to produce the best result in the long run. When partner opened the bidding with one heart, you had no assurance that your side had a game. If partner has only a minimum opening bid, game is doubtful, since it usually takes the equivalent of two opening bids to make a game -- and you have less than an opening bid.

The prospects for game don’t change much when East overcalls with two clubs. If you were to bid two spades (forcing) and caught partner with minimum values, you’d be well on your way toward a game that’s probably not in the cards.

Faced with this uncertainty, the best policy is to go for a practically sure profit by doubling two clubs. If partner has a normal opening bid and passes, East is likely to go down one or two tricks, giving you plus 200 or 500. A bid in the hand is worth two in the bush!

2. Two hearts. The only question is whether to bid two diamonds or two hearts. The chief objection to two diamonds is that it forces partner to bid again in a hand where there may be no game. Therefore, the slight underbid of two hearts is preferred. If partner passes, it is unlikely a game will be missed.

3. Three notrump. Here game is certain, so you don’t bother to double two clubs, even though you have better defensive values than you had in the first problem. While you will surely defeat two clubs, you can’t be certain that you will set that contract enough to make up for missing a vulnerable game. In this sequence, three notrump shows 13-15 high-card points and a balanced distribution.

4. Three clubs. This hand is likely to produce a slam in hearts, provided partner does not have wasted club strength. It is true that you have only 14 high-card points, but that does not begin to reflect the enormous trick-taking power of your excellent trump fit and club void. Partner could have as little as:

and slam would be virtually certain.

The immediate cuebid implies very good support for partner’s suit, sufficient values for at least a game, and possible interest in reaching a slam. An alternative call, if you play “splinter bids,” would be four clubs, showing essentially the same thing.

Tomorrow: Slow and steady wins the race.