Bidding Quiz
You are South, and the bidding has gone:
What would you bid now with each of the following four hands?
1. ♠ AQ987 ♥ 64 ♦ J72 ♣ KJ3
2. ♠ AJ83 ♥ K73 ♦ Q5 ♣ K974
3. ♠ Q8643 ♥ J62 ♦ 7 ♣ AK98
4. ♠ AKJ7 ♥ 852 ♦ 983 ♣ AQ5
1. Three diamonds. Despite partner’s two-diamond rebid, denoting a minimum opening, you should not yet abandon hope for game. Three diamonds is much more encouraging than two spades would be, and in addition it shows that you have both spades and diamonds, which is more than a rebid in spades would do.
Three diamonds is constructive but not forcing. It says that game is still possible if partner has a maximum for his two previous bids. You hope he will be able to bid either three spades (with three-card support) or three notrump.
2. Three notrump. An opening bid facing an opening bid means game, so you should not risk a two-notrump bid that partner could pass. You not only have 13 high-card points and stoppers in every suit, but also the important queen of diamonds in partner’s suit. It’s very unlikely that you will wind up with fewer than nine tricks.
3. Pass. True you have a better hand than your pass would normally indicate, but your side’s chances of making game — once partner has announced a minimum opening bid — are rather poor. He probably has 13 or 14 high-card points, though he might have as little as 12 or as many as 15.
Further action is therefore not justified. Your singleton diamond is a liability, not an asset. If you were to bid again, pushing the contract higher, you might well endanger the partscore of two diamonds your side can probably make.
4. Three clubs. Bidding a three-card suit is somewhat unusual, but sometimes you have to improvise to find the best contract. Game must be reached, and you are hoping partner will bid three notrump if he has a heart stopper.
You should not feel nervous about bidding a three-card suit under these circumstances. Partner is not allowed to pass, since a new suit bid by responder is forcing. The worst that can happen is that partner raises to four clubs, in which case you can belatedly support diamonds.
Tomorrow: A tough nut to crack. (c)2023 King Features Syndicate Inc.