BRIDGE

CONSUMER ADVISORY: while South triumphed in this exhibit from the semifinal of the Canadian Bridge Federation's Online Team League, the bidding is presented for entertainment value only. Any attempt to copy said bidding that falls flat will receive no warranty coverage or sympathy!

Two Notrump? With

5-4 in the majors and only nineteen high-card points? Not exactly featured in basic texts on the subject! We wouldn't quibble about the missing point but the distribution seems ill-suited for the opening bid as “losing”

one major or the other seems inevitable after many common responder actions.

Like the Stayman response over which South showed hearts first, just as he would with 4-4 in the majors.Of course, Responder raised to the heart game to leave the great spade suit on the shelf.

Nine of diamonds to the ace as South unblocked the King under East's ace.

East shifted to a small club that declarer won with the ace to cash the trump ace and cross to a high diamond to play a third round to discard a club.

Small interruption to South's play as East ruffed that third round of diamonds with the trump Queen to sit poised to set the contract with a spade return.

Instead East was convinced the line of play strongly suggested South would still have a club loser which he most surely would have if he hadn't started with a five-card spade suit.

Cashing the heart King and playing back a club wasn't what was needed for the defense as South ruffed the club to play ace and a spade to the Queen and wrap up ten tricks with the proven spade finesse for the ten.