BRIDGE MASTERCLASS

West

♠ A9865

♥ 86

♦ 9

♣ KQ J 10 5

Would you open on this hand and, if so, what? By any yardstick for bidding, you should open with this ten-point hand. you have two biddable five-card suits and, most importantly, you have a sensible rebid over whatever partner may respond — provided that you open 1 ♣ , not 1 ♠ .

It is still the correct Acol style to open with the lower-ranking of equal length black suits, in order to preserve bidding space. However, there is a non-Acol alternative, favoured by some top players and prominent teachers, of always giving preference to showing a five-card major, even when the suit is weak. This method obviously has merit or good players wouldn’t use it, but there is the obvious risk of being unable to show the club suit later when partner responds 2 ♦ or 2 ♥ .

So you should open 1 ♣ and, after partner responds 1 ♥ , you rebid 1 ♠ . your second bid is not forcing, but partner is unlikely to pass, unless he had an absolute minimum response in the first place. your action on the next round will depend on partner’s second response.