Announce a major-minor hand

Margaret Fairless Barber, who wrote under the pseudonym of Michael Fairless and died in 1901, said, “To look backward for a while is to refresh the eye, to restore it, and to render it the more fit for its prime function of looking forward.”

That is good advice for bridge players. We look forward to the coming tricks, but must not forget the previous bidding and play. This week, we are covering Cappelletti for competing when an opponent opens one no-trump.

What does it mean to intervene with two of a major? This shows a major-minor two-suiter. You would like 5-5, but cannot afford to wait for that. I require five in the major and four-plus in the minor. I use a double to show four in either major and five-plus in either minor (but that is more complicated).

If you bid two of a major, how does partner ask for your minor? With a weak hand, he bids three clubs, pass or correct. With some values, he advances with two no-trump — as North does here. Yes, his hand is a minimum, but his spade queen is hopefully useful and he has an ace. This emboldens South to jump to five clubs.

How should South play after the defenders start with three rounds of diamonds?

As dummy’s trumps are so low, declarer should assume spades are 4-3 and cater for a 4-1 trump break. Ruff the third diamond, play a spade to the queen, lead a trump to hand, ruff a spade in the dummy, draw the remaining trumps and run the spades.