BRIDGE MASTERCLASS

What would you bid next on the above hand? Assuming, of course, that you are playing with a partner who knows how and when to make a forcing response, it is equally important for opener to know how to rebid.

On this hand, you have a pretty minimum opening in a single-suited hand. The important thing is that you are single-suited, not so much that you are pretty minimum, because you could be a lot stronger and still make the same rebid — 3 ♥ . This will show the character of your hand, and it leaves responder free to decide on the next move.

His 3 ♣ bid was, of course, forcing to game, so whatever he bids next, you will not drop the bidding until at least a game has been reached. You don’t yet know if his 3 ♣ force is because he wants to play in clubs or whether he has a strong heart fit. Time will tell.

The general principle of bidding in response to a force is to make the same bid as you would have after a simple response, albeit at a higher level.