Daily Bridge Club

Free bidding

A reader writes that he and his partner didn’t see eye to eye about the bidding in today’s deal.

“I was North,” he says, “and when my partner freely rebid two hearts, I thought I could put him in game. I expected him to have extra strength or longer hearts.”

At four hearts, South ruffed the third diamond, led a club to dummy and tried a trump to his jack. West won and returned a trump. South ruffed one club in dummy, but his jack was a loser at the end. Down one.

FINESSE

Since East hadn’t opened the bidding but had all the high diamonds, South’s trump finesse couldn’t work. He should take the A-K of trumps, then A-K of spades, spade ruff (to overruff won’t help West), ace of clubs, spade ruff, king of clubs, good spade to pitch a club. The defense gets only West’s high trump.

As for the bidding, I sympathize with North (especially since four hearts was cold), but many experts have ditched the “free bid” concept and would bid two hearts with no more than a good suit.

DAILY QUESTION

You hold: ♠ A 5 ♥ A K J 10 9 ♦ 10 3 ♣ J 5 4 2. Your partner opens one diamond, you respond one heart and he bids two clubs.

What do you say?

ANSWER: Your winning contract might be 3NT (if partner holds a hand such as Q 10 7, 4, K Q J 9 8, A Q 7 6) or seven clubs (if he has 4 3, 4, A K 8 5 4, A K Q 10 6). It might be four hearts or five clubs. To get more information and keep the bidding low, bid two spades, a forcing “fourth-suit” action that merely asks him to bid again. East dealer N-S vulnerable