CONTRACT BRIDGE

1. Three clubs. Partner’s two bids indicate that he has a hand of the minimum class (12 to 14 high-card points) with balanced distribution, most likely 4-3-3-3, 4-4-3-2 or 5-3-3-2. Since you also have an opening bid, game must be reached, but despite partner’s descriptive rebid, it is still not clear what the best game con- tract is apt to be.

Three clubs gives you the best chance to find the proper contract. If partner next bids three spades, you bid four spades; if he bids three notrump, you pass; if he bids four clubs, you bid five.

Note that in the given sequence, it is necessary for you to bid three clubs rather than two to force partner to bid again. This is because after a one-notrump rebid by opener, a simple change of suit by responder is not forcing, and opener is permitted to pass.

2. Pass. Game is unlikely, since partner has at most 14 points. There is also no point in trying to improve the partscore contract by bidding two clubs. Partner will probably make seven or eight tricks in notrump on high-card values alone, so the most sensible course of action is to pass.

3. Three diamonds. You can’t stop under game after partner’s opening diamond bid, so you make a forcing jump in his opening suit to elicit more information. If part- ner bids three spades, you bid four; if he bids four diamonds over three, you carry on to five; if he bids three notrump, you pass. There is almost no chance for a slam after partner’s minimum rebid, and it is best to disregard those few magic hands he might have that would produce 12 tricks.

4. Three notrump. This is a slight stretch, but three notrump comes closer to representing your true values than two notrump, which is the alternative bid. If your sprin- kling of eights and nines were deuces and treys, two notrump would be the recommended call. As it is, though, one or more of these intermediate cards is likely to prove helpful in producing nine tricks. Intermediate cards are seldom given a value in point-count literature, but these lesser soldiers of the game often make a critical difference.