BriDgE Quiz

8QUESTION 1: Neither vulnerable, as South, you hold:

109874 AJ6

dPass, pass to you. What call would you make in third position?

8QUESTION 2: North-South vulnerable, as South, you hold:

NORTH 2c 2NT

hEAST

Pass

Pass

cSOUTH 2d ?

10654

What call would you make?

WEST

Pass

8QUESTION 3: East-West vulnerable, as South, you hold:

h4 AKJ865

dWEST

Pass

NORTH 1s

What call would you make?

EAST 3h 8QUESTION 4: Both vulnerable, as South, you hold:

75 AKJ10

NORTH 1s 2h 3c

EAST

Pass

Pass

Pass

SOUTH 2c 2NT ?

What call would you make?

8QUESTION 5: North-South vulnerable, as South, you hold:

shQJ763

dcAQ

WEST

Pass

Pass

Right-hand opponent opens 2H, weak. What call would you make?

I recently held 4-3, —, K-J10-9-7-6, A-5-4-3-2 at love all. My partner opened one club, and my right-hand opponent overcalled one heart. What would be your plan of campaign?

A direct club raise does not appeal, even via a three-heart splinter. That would not get the long diamonds across. Start with two diamonds, intending to bid five clubs later on. This should be a heavily competitive deal, so clue partner in. For the record, some play an immediate jump to three diamonds as a fit jump, promising real club support.

Would you make a weak jump overcall of three clubs over a one-diamond opening, holding K-5-4, 3-2, 7-5, K-J-9-5-4-3 at favorable vulnerability?

hcdschdsI would indeed bid three clubs, hoping to get in the opponents’ way. I would, of course, prefer to have more shape or a seventh club, but the primary suit is fair, and I have relatively little defense, so the risk seems worthwhile. I would never bid this way vulnerable; I want my partner to expect more from me.

I have heard some of my Polish bridge friends talking about the Polish Club. What is it?

The Polish one-club opening has multiple meanings. It includes nebulous strong hands, weak no-trumps, and sometimes minimum hands with clubs. Responder has a negative diamond response, all other calls showing values but not necessarily enough to invite game. These methods have something in common with a strong club base and obviously work well for the Poles, but any methods that require complex agreements do have a significant memory factor. To each his own.

What methods would you recommend after the two-no-trump inquiry over a weak two?

Most partnerships repeat their suit to show a minimum; otherwise, they bid a high-card feature at the three-level with a maximum, or three no-trump with a very good suit. Others use Ogust: Three clubs shows a minimum with a bad suit, three diamonds a minimum with a good suit. Three hearts denotes a maximum with a bad suit, and three spades a maximum with a good suit. I would certainly recommend the former method after a weak two diamonds, when it is more important to identify stoppers for three no-trump.