With a big fit, have big ambition

David Lloyd George, the first Liberal prime minister in Britain, said, “Don’t be afraid to take a big step if one is indicated. You can’t cross a chasm in two small jumps.”

In bridge, sometimes you have to take a big step by making a wild preemptive leap into the stratosphere, or by bravely entering an auction at a high level.

Look at the East hand in today’s diagram. He passes as dealer, South opens two spades (a weak two-bid), West makes a takeout double, and North jumps to four spades. What should East do?

At the table, East pusillanimously passed. Yes, four spades went down, declarer losing one diamond and three clubs, but that was poor compensation.

East, knowing about a double fit in the red suits, should advance with four no-trump, showing length in two suits. Here, after South passes, if, say, West bids five clubs, East continues with five diamonds to describe his hand.

Actually, West, who has a really strong hand, ought to bid more than five clubs over four no-trump. A five-spade control-bid seems justified to me. Then, when East bids six diamonds, West can pass or really show faith in his passed partner by raising to seven!

In seven diamonds, East takes five hearts, five diamonds, two clubs and a spade ruff in the West hand.

Seven hearts makes as well, with the same tricks. But seven diamonds by West can be defeated if North leads a heart.

Finally, in the actual auction, when East passed over four spades, West should have doubled a second time. That might have finally spurred East to life.