BRIDGE MASTERCLASS

AT game All, what action would you take on each of these hands after your LHO opens 1 ♠ and RHO responds 2 ♣ ? though you have a good opening bid on each hand, the opponents’ bidding has given you a major problem. If you can trust the auction thus far, you know partner can’t hold more than 6HCPs. You want to bid 2 ♥ on each hand, but you will be lucky to make four tricks on the first one when LHO holds ♠ AQxxx, ♥ KJxx, ♦ Ax,

♣ xx. Because the opponents’ hands are still unlimited, don’t consider bidding on hand (a) — it is certain to cost you dear.

Hand (b) is a little better because if you’re declarer, you ought to get a helpful club lead and partner may be holding some spade control. Nevertheless, I would always pass here because you are dabbling in the unknown, while the opponents have confirmed they share the balance of strength.

Hand (c) is a different matter; though weaker in HCPs than the other two, it has much better playing potential — especially with a helpful club lead.

Bid 2 ♥ very safely here. If it still goes down doubled, you have probably saved against a game contract or when LHO ends up as declarer, you have ensured that you’ll get a heart lead.