DAILY BRIDGE CLUB

A preemptive opening bid is supposed to be descriptive as well as obstructive, though many experts are willing to preempt with atypical hands and leave partner guessing as well as the opponents.

If your partner opens, say, three diamonds, and you have some diamonds but a weak hand, you may be sure the opponents have at least a game. You may have tactical options: a gentle raise to four diamonds, an “advance sacrifice” at five diamonds or higher, or maybe some outrageous bluff bid.

Today’s deal arose in the Soloway Knockout Teams at the ACBL 2021 Fall Championships in Austin. (After being obliged to cancel five straight NABC’s, the ACBL felt able to stage its Fall NABC.) The final pitted a team captained by Warren Spector (Bathurst, Demuy, Hurd, Kranyak, Wolpert) against a multinational squad led by Antonio Palma.

At both tables, North opened three diamonds.

At one table, John Hurd, South for SPECTOR, bid 3NT! West no doubt suspected that South might be bluffing, but 3NT was passed out. Hurd could have been down eight, but when West led the jack of hearts, East played low! Hurd took his queen and forced out the ace of diamonds, and if West had led a spade next, South would have made his unlikely game. West led another heart instead, but the defense still conspired to let Hurd escape for down four, minus 200.

In the replay, East doubled three diamonds(!), and South raised to four diamonds. West bid four hearts — I would have bid a lot more than that — and all passed. West took 13 tricks, plus 710, an 11-IMP gain. North dealer

E-W vulnerable