Gulf News

What happens with two unbid majors?

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Inspiratio­nal author Ivy Gilbert wrote, “Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you’ll start having positive results.” But in bridge, when you use a negative double, you will have more positive results than you would have attained without its assistance. So far this week, we have seen that when opener bids one of a suit and the next player overcalls in another suit (perhaps with a single jump), a double promises length in the unbid major. Some claim that it shows length in the unbid major and the unbid minor, but that is not true. However, you should have some idea of what you will do if partner rebids in that minor and you do not have support. But what happens when there are two unbid majors, as in today’s deal? I like to play that the negative double shows exactly 4-4 in those majors. (With 5-4, you bid the five-card suit; with 5-5, you respond one spade.) Following North’s double, South jumps to three no-trump. How does he plan the play after taking West’s diamond-jack lead with his king? Declarer has seven top tricks: four hearts, one diamond (trick one) and two clubs. Since West seems marked with the diamond ace, East is the danger hand, the one who must be kept off lead. So, declarer should cross to the club king and run the club 10. When this holds, he takes his nine winners, then plays a spade to collect an overtrick. But even if the club finesse loses, declarer is protected from a diamond attack and has time to establish his ninth trick in spades.

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