BRIDGE MASTERCLASS

EAST opens 1♥ and his partner raises to 2♥. What action would you take on this North hand?

DO YOU recognise anything familiar about this hand? It’s the type of hand which your partner may have held on each of the past three days, when I asked you to respond on a South hand to a bid of 3♥ from partner. So 3♥ is the bid you should make on this hand.

Bidding the opponents’ suit is the strongest bid you can make, after they have got into the action first. It shows a hand on which you would normally have opened 2♣ if you’d had the chance, and it is game-forcing.

It has two further features, which use the opponents’ bidding to advantage – (a) it shows first-round control (ace or void) in the opponents’ suit, and (b) it will normally promise good support for one major suit, if bid over the other major.

You will expect to make game here in spades or diamonds, even if partner has a Yarborough. If he should respond in either of your suits, you will raise partner to a slam in that suit.