BRIDGE MASTERCLASS

North ♠ KJ97 ♥ K84 ♦ A86 ♣ A93 SECOND in hand, what action would you take on this hand, after West opens 1 ♦ ? iT is important to have an agreement with partner about bidding style for situations such as this. You have three feasible options, and picking the wrong one could lead to disaster.

Bidding 1NT describes your balanced distribution with 15 to 17 HCPs. However, you have only one stopper in the opponent’s suit and this is likely to be knocked out on the opening lead. it’s wiser to promise at least two stoppers.

Or you can double, which shows values with an interest in competing. Most importantly, the double should promise good support for both majors because partner will expect you to have it, and he may be obliged to bid a major with only a four-card suit.

Or, finally, you can decide to lurk with a Pass. This keeps you out of trouble when the opponents have most of the values, concealing your strength from the eventual declarer. The risk of passing is that the opponents buy a low-level contract and you miss out on one for your side.

None of the options is ideal for this particular hand, so you need to judge which will be the least dangerous.