CONTRACT BRIDGE

The question of whether or not to overcall an opponent’s opening bid, or the response to an opening bid, is more a matter of common sense than anything else.

For example, if you held the South hand in today’s deal and your righthand opponent bid one diamond as dealer, you should surely overcall with one spade.

You have the values for an opening bid, a reasonable trump suit and good distribution. You don’t expect to make game (though it’s certainly possible if partner has good trump support), but there’s a real chance of making a partscore in spades or clubs while stopping the opponents from making a partscore in hearts or diamonds. Stated differently, it’s better to compete against one diamond than to pass.

But the situation is totally different if West opens one diamond and, after partner passes, East responds two clubs. To enter the bidding now with two spades is tantamount to suicide, since you have little to gain and a lot to lose.

It would be unrealistic to argue that you have the values for an opening bid and are therefore entitled to express them.

Such an attitude would indicate that you have completely ignored the significance of the opponents’ bids — namely, that West has at least 13 points, while East has indicated 10 or more points with his two-club response. This does not leave much in the way of high cards for your partner, and there is furthermore no assurance that he is going to have support for spades.

The deal and the bidding shown actually occurred in a 1980 team match between Canada and the United States.

The Canadian South bid two spades over East’s two clubs, got doubled and paid the piper to the tune of 1,400 points!