BRIDGE QUIZ

South, you hold:

AJ5 AK764 Q72 K4 NORTH EAST SOUTH 1NT Pass 2

2h Pass 4NT 5h Pass ? *Transfer to hearts

sWhat call would you make?

North-South vulnerable, as South, you hold: 1086 SOUTH 1h Pass

shhWhat call would you make?

East-West vulnerable, as South, you hold:

hAKJ75 K10763 WEST NORTH 2c Pass Pass Dbl

105 A43 QJ87 NORTH EAST 1NT Pass

dNeither vulnerable, as

ddccWhat call would you make?

WEST Pass Pass

Void EAST 3c Pass

cSOUTH ?

South, you hold:

sNORTH

1h

Pass

North-South vulnerable, as South, you hold:

s1096

What call would you make?

AKQ

SOUTH

1c

EAST

Dbl

Pass

d10 9

WEST

Pass

SOUTH

2h

?

NORTH

1s

What call would you make?

WEST

2s

EAST

Dbl

Partner opens 1H and right-hand opponent doubles. What call would you make?

D0P1 is the most common treatment, whereby double shows no key-cards, pass shows one, and you bid up the line with two or more. If the intervention is a double, this becomes R0P1, which is the same except that the redouble replaces the double. Other methods are available, such as double showing an even number and pass an odd number, especially for high-level intervention, but D0P1 is the simplest to use.

I suppose I would pass. A weak two hearts is absolutely verboten, and a preemptive three diamonds would lose the hearts altogether. I must say, though, that the latter call has some appeal at the position and vulnerability. If I decided to preempt, I’d be hoping it was the opponents’ hand, so I would preempt to the three level. there. Otherwise, I would bid one no-trump, to get the hand off my chest in one fell swoop. The opponents will not always lead their partner’s suit, even when it is right. Or they might raise, giving us a second chance.

There has been a marked increase in the popularity of video conferencing while playing online. What do you make of this trend?

I am not a fan of these things in general. They serve as a distraction, and the current online playing experience is fine by me. I do appreciate that some players like the “at-the-table” feel of being able to see and chat with others, though.