BRIDGE MASTERCLASS

Playing Pairs with the score love all, your

partner opens 1nT (12-14 pts). your RHO intervenes with 2♥. What action would you take?

The clue as to your best bid here lies in what you would have done without the intervening bid.

Clearly you would have bid 3♠, so do it now. You have the values for game, though for your money, you would prefer to play in spades, particularly if opener can give you three-card support.

In an uncontested auction, correct procedure for opener is to raise 3♠ to 4♠ with three-card support but to rebid 3NT with only a doubleton spade.

It is possible that he might have to modify this in view of the 2♥ bid, but if he has no decent stop in hearts, he surely has spade support.

either way, with the values for game between you, you want to get there and not let the other side steal your Match Points by slipping in a bid which talks you out of your best contract.