BRIDGE MASTERCLASS

EAST opens 1♥ and his partner raises to 2♥. Your partner (North) now bids 3♥ and East passes; what action would you take on this South hand? IN VIEW of the opposition bidding and his own strong hand, partner would not expect you to have very much. His 3♥ bid, which is much stronger than a double, is forcing you to bid something, and this will normally be your longest suit or lower of two equal suits.

So here you bid 4♦ and, if he next bids 4♠ you will know that he has at least a good 5- or 6-card suit, suggesting this will be the best contract if you have some little support. (Note that partner’s initial 3♥ bid does not deny a long spade suit; it merely means that he is too strong to bid 3♠ or even 4♠ immediately, which could be passed).

When he bids 4♠ you must now bid 5♣ to show that you have at least nine cards in the minors and no more than a singleton spade. You then await his final decision, which might even be at the 6-level.

There have been many good slams made on a Yarborough. Partner may hold something like: ♠AKQxx, ♥-, ♦AKxx, ♣AKxx, or better.